Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Mardi Almansour, Chief Projects Officer at Jeddah Central Development Company, outlined the scale and ambition of the Jeddah Central project in remarks to ABC Mundial on the sidelines of the TOURISE Summit 2025, describing it as one of the Kingdom’s most significant projects under Vision 2030 to diversify the economy and expand its global tourism reach.

Speaking about the project’s international positioning, Almansour said the company is working to introduce Jeddah Central to audiences across Latin America and North America, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s growing interest in attracting visitors from new global markets.

Located on the western coast of the Kingdom, Jeddah Central spans 5.7 million square meters along the Red Sea and is being developed as an integrated urban, cultural, and tourism destination.

The Public Investment Fund–owned project will feature residential, commercial, entertainment, and sports districts, anchored by four major landmarks: an opera house, a next-generation stadium, an oceanarium, and a desalination museum celebrating the legacy of the Kingdom’s first water desalination plant.

Almansour described the development as “a city within a city,” noting that its design brings together beaches, hotels, cultural assets, and leisure areas within a walkable environment intended to offer visitors a seamless and memorable experience.

The new stadium, set to be one of the venues for the FIFA World Cup 2034, will accommodate 45,000 spectators and include interior and exterior climate-control systems, along with a retractable roof to ensure optimal conditions for both fans and players.

A surrounding district will include restaurants, hotels, family areas, and recreational spaces, linking directly to other parts of the destination such as the opera house and the 9.5-kilometer waterfront, which includes 2.1 kilometers of beach.

Almansour highlighted the project’s focus on sustainability, architectural innovation, and its connection to the natural environment, in line with the principles of Vision 2030.

He said the Museum will serve as a landmark that reflects both the nation’s technological progress and the central role of water in Saudi Arabia’s past and future.