Jeddah Central Development Company, a wholly-owned unit of Saudi wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF), has signed a contract to start construction work on the $20-billion Jeddah Central Project, which will create a global destination in the heart of Jeddah, according to a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report.

 

The mega project, previously known as New Jeddah Downtown, is being developed on a 5.7-million-sq-m plot of land overlooking the Red Sea in a strategic area near Al Salam Palace.

 

The master developer said the contract includes the implementation of infrastructure and marine works, demolition of 400 buildings and infrastructure in the first stage, and the re-routing of infrastructure services, which include electrical ground installations, sewage pipes and water supply, with a total length of 6.5 km, SPA said.

 

JCDC added that there will be reclamation and offshore drilling, then backfilling with the excavated material, which is estimated at 4 million cu m of earthworks, in addition to reclamation works, soil remediation and site prepartion for the construction works using the best engineering techniques, over a total area of ​​1.5 million sq m. 

 

The scope of work includes marine and yacht marinas with a length of 2.5 km and floating berths within the marina, construction works on waterfront berths with a length of 1.5 km, and the rehabilitation of public and private sandy beaches, according to the report.

 

Jeddah Central Project, which will be developed in three main phases, has multiple components, including a waterfront that is 9.5 km in length. 

 

Four main landmarks will be set up in the centre of Jeddah: a museum, an opera house, a sports stadium and an oceanarium. It will also feature 17,000 residential units along with resorts and hotels with more than 3,000 rooms.

 

The Jeddah Central Project will also be home to a variety of renowned international resorts and cafes.-TradeArabia News Service