There has been a substantial increase in green urban spaces in Saudi Arabia that have left a positive impact on people’s experiences. 

 

The kingdom has already planted over 300,000 trees as part of the Quality of Life Programme (QOL) Green Suburbs Initiative which aims to plant 1.3 million trees in over 50 residential areas by 2025.

 

In addition, the launch of the Balady digital platform in 2023 has reached over 14.9 million users, providing easy digital access to municipal services and relevant information. 

 

QOL is supporting projects aimed at creating smarter urban designs and enhancing cities to improve lives across Saudi Arabia, said QOL’s 2023 Annual Report. With data and case studies covering the six QOL priority sectors – culture and heritage, entertainment and hobbies, tourism, sports, urban design, and security – the report shows improvements across lifestyle and livability metrics in the kingdom.

 

Quality of life

“We are committed to building a quality of life in Saudi Arabia that, through smarter urban designs and municipal solutions, enables healthier and happier lifestyles,” said Khalid Albaker, CEO of QOL. “As our latest report demonstrates, our collective efforts to ensure social well-being through improved services and greener cities are having a positive impact on our residents.”

 

Through QOL’s range of initiatives across its target sectors, people in Saudi Arabia are increasingly empowered to pursue new passions, interests, hobbies, talents, and pastimes. At the heart of such thriving communities lies a sense of security and peace of mind. 

 

The QOL report highlights how advanced security technologies, such as more security cameras at critical junctures, and efficient community-driven security centers, reinforce this feeling of general safety among residents. Impressively, the report shows that the average time it takes for the Unified Security Operations Centers (911) to answer calls is only two seconds, while queries are, on average, redirected to appropriate response departments in 45 seconds. 

 

“We know that having a sense of security is important for flourishing communities,” added Albaker. “While anyone who lives in Saudi Arabia already knows that they can safely and comfortably move around their neighbourhoods and cities, such deployed technologies and efficient security centers will amplify this peace of mind for residents and families. At QOL, we see investing in appropriate physical and digital security, as well as the people responsible for keeping our communities safe, as critical to improving lifestyles and livability.”

 

Culture and heritage projects

Reflecting a commitment to empowerment and well-being, the Cultural Development Fund has pledged almost $48 million in support of 45 culture and heritage projects. These lifestyle improvements encompass initiatives like the recent opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art at Jax in Diriyah, which has already welcomed over 16,200 visitors. Similarly, QOL has been working to support the next generation of entertainment leaders through workshops and training programmes. These initiatives are creating new opportunities for hundreds of artists to pursue their passions and hobbies in the culture and entertainment sectors. 

 

The QOL 2023 Annual Report also highlights improvements in the Saudi tourism sector, with over 535 investors having registered with QOL’s Tourism Investment Portal. This uptake serves as a testament to the far-reaching impact of QOL’s programmes and investors’ confidence in Saudi Arabia’s transformative efforts.--TradeArabia News Service