Turreted rose-coloured walls and towers mark the entrance to King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), 70km north of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. The traditional desert motif blends with what developers are calling the future of cities in the oil-rich kingdom.
Through the gate, banners flap in the wind, depicting the ultra-modern, eco-friendly model city of the future. The $27bn project will be as large as Washington DC and comprise an industrial zone, financial centre, luxury villas, retail outlets, schools, resorts and a seaport.
If all goes according to plan, KAEC and six other economic cities should create 1m jobs for Saudi nationals while easing demographic pressure on the main cities of the kingdom, and ultimately contributing as much as $150bn to the gross domestic product, argues the cities’ promoter, Sagia, Saudi Arabia’s investment authority"
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