Dubai: Saudi Arabia continues to build enormous mixed-use developments, a 10-square-kilometer ‘AlNama’ project in Riyadh.

The smart city, derived from the Arabic word ‘thrive,’ will include 11,000 residential units and accommodate 44,000 people.

The 1,000-hectare development will generate 10,000 employment in several businesses, including green-tech companies, to establish a “green circular economy.”

URB, a boutique planning and design consultant in Dubai Design District, is working on the project’s design. “AlNama wants to be the next generation of the self-sufficient city, providing all of the city’s renewable energy demands as well as the residents’ caloric food intake on site,” stated URB CEO Baharash Bagherian. “Rather than structures, the city was designed through shaping its environment. It results in more socially inclusive, economically profitable, and environmentally conscious urbanization.”

The hospitality hub, designed to promote ecotourism, will include eco-friendly glamping cabins, eco-resorts, and a wildlife conservation center. Within the medical center will be an autistic village, wellness center, and clinics that will assist boost medical tourism.

“Ultimately, the city will become a work, live, and visit destination where people, planet, and profit can thrive in balance,” according to the statement. “It will serve as a new benchmark model for all future cities to encourage greener economies centered on food, water, energy, and trash.”

Source: Gulf News