Business & Money | Monday 6 May, 2019 2:56 am |

A panel of prominent International experts from various academic and professional fields convened to discuss Riyadh’s $23 billion investment in the recently announced four grand projects that will transform the city and improve the wellbeing of millions of citizens in the capital city.

The Subject Matter Expert (SME) Forum discussed a number of topics, including sustainable urban development, conservation, socio-economic well-being, art and culture, and the facilitation of a healthy lifestyle for all citizens.

The four wellbeing projects will greatly improve Saudis’ way of life by providing a greener, healthier environment and by encouraging participation in cultural and sporting life, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. These four projects are part of a massive development plan for Riyadh, highlighting the Kingdom's leadership in sustainable urbanization and environmental management.

One of the projects is King Salman Park – one of the world’s largest urban parks with a land area of 13 km2, roughly four times that of Central Park in New York.

“What I’ve seen over these two days is very much at the cutting edge and redefines what a city could be. What Riyadh is doing here I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world – where the planning is so integrated and well thought through, and innovative thinking is so evident. Riyadh is setting the standard,” said John Rossant, Chairman & Founder, New Cities Foundation.

“Every one of these wellbeing projects is quite extraordinary. Riyadh will be transformed in ways that you and I can’t fully understand. They will transform this city not just in its infrastructure and facilities, but will transform health, culture and the very way citizens live their lives,” said Dr. David Griggs, Professor, Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University.

“The scale of these city projects is really impressive. Planting a few trees is nice. Maybe planting a couple of blocks is worthy. But it’s only when you get to the scale of 7.5 million trees and 9% green coverage of the city that you can actually change the climate and cool the city down,” said John Englander, Oceanographer & Author, commenting on the 7.5 million trees that will be planted as part of the Riyadh Green Project.