Urban Change in Saudi Arabia - Outline Example

Summary

The discussion gives the backgrounds of various projects that were undertaken in the Middle East particularly in Saudi Arabia. These projects are of various town disciplines such as the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), IT and Communications Complex (ITCC), Obhur Al Janoubia, Diplomatic Quarter Compound, Dhabab towers compound, Hamra Al-Sharq Compound, Mina Real Estate Co. Towers, Ar Rakah Residential Compound and Haramain High Speed Rail projects. The main points outlined for each project include the projects locations, cities of situation, land area, project type, building area and offices if any. These considerations are virtually some of the most important aspects of any project. During the planning phase of any major project, planners take into consideration aspects to make the complete projects appropriate for the intended purposes. Moreover, the paper illustrates the projects’ completion phases, architectural designs, operations and the public access abilities as well as privileges. The above projects are mega projects that define Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure as well as her economies (Montgomery, 2015).

The name of the project

Background

1

King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Project

KAFD project is in Riyadh City, particularly located along the King Fahad Rd, close to the road’s Northern extension. The project’s land area is 1.6 million m2 proposed for large office sites investments. The building area was designed for skyscrapers, self-contained facilities for service, and multi-usage towers. This project was the most significant project of the PPA (Public Pension Agency), who owns, manages and oversees its development through the Al Ra’idah Investment Company. The project was, moreover, established to be a global financial centre in the Middle East. All banks headquarters in Saudi, Stock Exchanges and other financial academies would associate with its supportive services. The building was to be completed in 2014 after accomplishing its three construction phases towards its completion. The first phase involved establishing buildings and infrastructures while phase two was to complete the remaining buildings and infrastructures, building the financial tower and completing the buildings that other bodies implemented. The final phase which was to be finished by 2014 involved building external bridges and roads around KAFD and establishing the attractors.

2

IT and Communications Complex (ITCC) Project

The ITCC project was also situated in Riyadh City, particularly in the Al-Naqeel Environments, West wards along the Imam Saud ibn Abdul-Aziz ibn Mohammed. The initiation was to develop a self-contained complex centre to embracing an IT and Communication environment. The project’s land area is 800,447 m2 and the building area was designed for office towers, residential complex and for research. The four office towers were for provisions of the latest facilities. The ITCC project was established to attract, maintain and encourage talents through securing flexible, developed, and novel community that would support technology companies. The project was set up to as well characterise a work environment attraction with green walking paths, oases and public parks. The PPA as the owner of the ITCC complex, in its capacity developed the recreation, security and the compound service facilities through the help of Al Ra’idah Investment Company, which is also the Agency’s investment arm.

3

Obhur Al Janoubia Project

This project can be considered as one of the mega residential project that the PPA is in the process of establishing in Jeddah, north side. It covers a total of 2.5 million m2. The project is both commercial and residential that meet over 10% of real estate’s market needs of top level residential units within a span of 10 years, in one stage. The project aims at issuing safe and quiet residential environment inclusive of education, health, religion services, commerce for a whole residential community. Offices include 18 buildings for both commercial and administrative purposes. In the building areas, infrastructures would include high-rise, villas, commerce and investment structures placed in there right zones. This project would compose of 10 and 5 neighbourhoods for residential buildings and villas respectively. Open spaces would be amidst the commercial zones. The project also would include hotels, malls and well-furnished flats, 188 and 6204 residential building and apartments respectively. The general goal of the Obhur Al Janoubia Project was to develop a convenient urban residential and commercial infrastructure for the Jeddah community. The project was finally to meet the architectural quality, best environmental conditions within the designed completion period. Currently, the projects Master Plan had been achieved by 2/4/2014 and by the Civil defense as at date 7/7/2014. Environmental monitoring and contract bids were complete by 2012 and the process of contracting companies for maintenance and operations were immediately underway.

4

Diplomatic Quarter Compound

Diplomatic Quarter Compound project is located in Riyadh city within the Diplomatic Quarter. The project is mainly for commerce, residential and office units. The project’s land area covers an extent of 28,505 m2 which is distributed to 22 plots. The building area proposals include offices, Prestigious villas, car parks and markets. The offices are appropriate for both official and commercial bodies. The project location serves embassies, civil, government and international bodies. The agency concerned with this project is the Public Pension Agency whose intension was to develop prestigious commercial and residential units for high-profile purpose for the ambassadorial quarters. The residential area includes eight villas, 96 apartments for residential purposes and car parks distributed to the lower Stories of the eight buildings. Interior furnishing, connecting networks, green spaces and other aesthetic elements are among the pride of the project. The commercial area includes buildings that are best in architectural designs which create feelings of extensiveness and spaciousness, enhancing moving smoothness across the compounds. Office, market and residential buildings as well as car parks are beautifully planned, with distinct architectural features that best suits them. For example, the 137 residential apartments are well served by stairs and lifts and apartments linked with car parks, eliminating the need to pass through market area.

5

Dhabab towers compound

This was a successful project that was implemented by Al Ra’idah Investment Company. The project is in the form of a big compound that includes eight esteemed office towers, located in the commercial hub of Riyadh. These offices lie in an office area 70,000 m2 and a land area of 50,000 m2. The project location is in the Big Complex office tower, Rihadh’s commercial centre. The compound has eight towers which are equipped with the latest monitoring and security technologies, communication networks, data transfer cables and back-up dynamo that automatically operates. The project standards considered the possibilities of being used by the private, public, ministries and government bodies. The design achieved the below mentioned objectives; the possibilities of private bodies and government using it, open office provision, current work environment provision, parking slots that employees may use and abilities to employ modern engineering systems. Commercial building could be leased for banking, shopping, civil offices, advocate offices, annex restaurant and main restaurant services among others.

6

Hamra Al-Sharq Compound

The project is also located in the Riyadh city of the middle east, particularly at Hamra Quarter, on either sides of Khaled ibn Al-Waleed Str extension. The purpose of the project was to develop an investment and a commercial showroom. The land area is approximately 101, 982 m2 which was divided into 7 units. The building area involves 7 isolated buildings of two-flat showrooms (Ground) linked by the inside stair case. The agency show rooms could be used as offices for commercials. These showrooms are leased and also give families opportunity to shop comfortably and enjoy recreational facilities. The showrooms have concrete ceiling, with strong interior made of strong slabs. The coloured grass issues a beautiful surrounding and a panoramic view. The following are among the offered services at the showrooms; air-conditioning, building management solution, air curtains, illumination units, self-contained networks and telephone connections, audio networks for every showroom, electrical meter, sanitation tools, sewage drains, car parks with foam fire extinguishers for every story, dry extinguishers for electricity rooms and rainwater drainage systems.

7

Mina Real Estate Co. Towers

Mina Real Estate Co. Towers is located in the Makkah city, particularly in the Mina Ritual Sites, at a land area of 44,226 m2. The project is mainly for building housing apartments for Hajj performance. They are composed of 6 towers owned by PPA, and the Organization of Social Insurance, and the Mina Co. Real Estates runs the Mina Real Estate Co. Towers project for both parties. It is among the revolutionary project that has been appreciated for the convenience and services of the Hajj performers, including many other massive projects which the government works on. The 6 towers are made up of void spaces, 4 and 2 internal and external elevators respectively, main staircase, mechanic room, electricity room, emergency escape, kitchen elevators, male prayer space, and female prayer space. Each tower are composed of ablution blocks, water closet, male and female respective eating places, and eating hall for both males and females, laundries, two shower cubicles for each room, two bathrooms and administrative offices.

8

Ar Rakah Residential Compound

Ar Rakah Residential Compound is situated at Ar Rakah District, Dammam, close to Dhahran International Exhibition Company. The project is situated in a land extent of 277,285 m2 and it includes 536 villas. Each villa has an area of 21,990 m2 including the main villa. The 536 villas are built as per the technical and construction specifications, and are as well equipped with the best and highest home furniture required. Each of the 11 villas here contains swimming pools, 3 rooms for reception and 3 bedrooms that have private toilets. The villas, moreover; contain a private garage and a servant’s special room. The main centre contains one small and two big swimming pools, with main restaurant, celebration halls, supermarket, postal services, internet, telephone, library, laundry machine, hairdressing salon, airline bookings office and taxis. The compound also delivers free means of transport for distant shopping, schools and private buses. Moreover, there are external courts, waterworks, security systems and service area within the compound.

9

Haramain High Speed Rail Project

The Haramain High Speed Rail is a railway project in Saudi Arabia linking at the cities of Mecca and Medina termini through King Abdullah City, Jeddah, Rabigh and KAIA airport. People also refer to the project as the Makkah-Medina high-speed railway or Western Railway. It is a 453 km railway with 449.2 km of main line and a branch linkage to KAIA airport, which is 3.75km. It also links to a national railway network at Jeddah. The project was planned to commence in 2012, however, other sections or phases other than the Medina-to-Rabigh phase were yet to be completed by end of 2015. The rail has five stations under the operations of the Saudi Rail Organization. The track gauge is 1435 mm and the railway operation speed is 300km/h. The project was completed in two phases costing a total of approximately US$9.4 billion. Phase one covered design and contracts for construction of Package 1, and construction of four out of the five stations in the second Package. Phase two included the completion of the remaining infrastructures that were not included in the first phase, for example, telecommunications, signalling, track, electrification, power, et cetera. It also involved a procurement of operations, maintenance and rolling stocks for a 12 years period after its completion.