Skip to content Skip to Search
Skip navigation

Zero-carbon smart city in Riyadh to house 44,000

By Shane McGinley
The smart city will be based in Riyadh and house 44,000 people Supplied
The smart city will be based in Riyadh and house 44,000 people

A Dubai-based architecture firm is working on designs for a 10km2, zero-carbon smart city in Saudi Arabia which will provide homes for 44,000 people.

URB, which is headquartered in Dubai Design District, said it has completed the concept stage for ALNAMA Smart City and will soon begin the detailed design stage.

Set to be located in the capital Riyadh, its name derives from the Arabic word “thrive”.

The plans include 11,000 residential units for a population of 44,000 and is expected to create 10,000 jobs across various greentech sectors such as ecotourism.

A URB spokesperson confirmed to AGBI that it was working with private investors in Saudi Arabia on the project and, while it had not yet gained formal approval from Saudi authorities, this “is expected to be granted following the completion of all submissions to relevant authorities”.

CEO of URB, Baharash Bagherian, was previously Design Director at Diamond Developers, the company behind sustainable cities in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Oman.

“ALNAMA aims to be the next generation of self-sufficient cities, producing all the city’s renewable energy needs, as well as the resident’s caloric food intake on site,” Bagherian said.

“Biosaline agriculture, productive gardens, wadis and carbon-rich habitats are key features of the development’s innovative and resilient landscape design.”

The concept plans for the project also include eco-friendly glamping lodges, eco resorts, a nature conservation centre, an autism village, wellness centre and clinics.

A report by real estate consultancy firm Knight Frank found that Saudi Arabia’s residential market experienced a buoyant 2021, with apartment and villa values increasing by 10.7 and 4.2 percent year-on-year.

Latest articles

SJP's chief investment officer Justin Onuekwusi, second from right, at the event in Dubai. Other speakers included, from left, Ben Powell of the BlackRock Investment Institute, Angelina Lai of SJP Asia and Middle East, and Robert Willock of the Economist Intelligence Unit

Wealth manager seeks Gulf growth despite setbacks in UK

St James’s Place, the UK’s largest wealth manager, plans to target local customers to expand its one-year-old Gulf operation as it seeks to brush off reputational setbacks in its home market. In February SJP disclosed that it had set aside more than $500 million for potential client refunds after an increase in complaints about its […]

A FlyDubai Boeing 737 Max. The airline's CEO says Boeing is 'fantastic' but he has sent inspectors to the manufacturer's facilities

Boeing’s ‘negative issues’ are top concern for FlyDubai CEO

Escalating regional tensions and recent floods in Dubai have “not especially” affected FlyDubai’s operations, but the low-cost airline’s chief executive said he was closely monitoring US plane maker Boeing’s response to a string of safety scandals.  “We are definitely very concerned about the delays and all the negative issues that are in the pipeline or […]

A KFC outlet in a Dubai mall. It accounts for about two-thirds of Americana's sales, but has been hit by boycotts

Americana profit tumbles as Gaza boycotts hit sales

Americana Restaurants International’s revenue and profit fell again in the first quarter of this year as Mena diners continue to shun western brands in protest at the conflict in Gaza. Americana, which runs 2,456 fast-food outlets across the region, reported a 16.3 percent reduction in revenues year on year, to $493.5 million.  Net profit fell […]

Lucid cut the price of its flagship Air model in February by as much as 10 percent

Lucid cuts electric car prices but posts higher revenue

Saudi-backed US electric vehicle maker Lucid reported first-quarter revenue above analysts’ estimates this week as it sets to produce more cars this year but selling at cheaper prices to spur sales.  The Nasdaq-listed EV company had cut prices of its flagship Air sedans in February by up to 10 percent, as customers globally began to […]