King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia

“To create for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a new city with potential growth for employment, education, community and lifestyle… a city that will expand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a fully integrated business and residential environment.”
From the Master Plan for King Abdullah Economic City

King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), a mega-development project located about 100 km north of (or an hour north of) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was announced in 2005. KAEC partnered with the GSD for an Executive Education program to offer expertise to an exciting new city committed to social, economic and environmental sustainability. KAEC is the Gulf’s biggest real estate project with a mandate to enable socio-economic development in Saudi Arabia.

The Partnership with GSD

GSD Executive Education designed and developed the custom program, Architecture, Urban Design, and Management of the Design Process, held in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, as part of the ongoing effort to plan for managing multiple investments in the KAEC’s industrial valley, port, residential development, infrastructure, land development, social amenities, leisure and tourism. Incorporating teamwork and team presentations and instructor feedback, participants studied design management, issues in urban design and qualities of architecture. Sessions on Color and the City, Education and Development,  and the Metrics of Sustainable Cities were also offered. The workshop concluded with the identification of major issues to address in the two-year period following this partnership between KAEC and GSD Executive Education.