Saudi Arabia has a vision for the next years. Take advantage of its abundance of low-cost energy and strategic location to build the foundations of a modern economy. 

Saudi Arabia has an innovative strategy to boost the Kingdom’s competitive environment and to attract domestic and foreign investment.

One of many examples for the future vision is the Economic Cities, is a cluster-based program designed to establish 6 integrated cities (“live, work and play” concept) expected to collectively create by 2020 over 1.5 million jobs and livable conditions for more than 2.5 million residents. 

The six cities are King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC in Rabig), Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mousaed Economic City (PABMEC in Hail), Knowledge Economic City (KEC in Medina), Jazan Economic City (JEC in Jazan), Tabouk Economic City (TBD), and Eastern Province Economic City (TBD).

The kingdom, which has a population of 24.5 million, including nearly 7 million foreigners is booming. About 40 percent of Saudis are under 15, and because the country has one of the world’s highest birth rates, the population is expected to reach nearly 40 million by 2025.

According to SABB, these cities together will have four times the geographical area of Hong Kong, three times the population of Dubai, and an economic output equal to Singapore’s. Other plans include building four refineries, two petrochemical plants and a modern graduate-level university with an endowment of $10 billion.