20140708

King Abdullah Financial District

Introduction

Saudi Arabia is perhaps the sole nation that keeps building cities (with or without inhabitants) of large scale within its vast desert lands.

King Abdullah Financial District

The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is a new development under construction near King Fahad Road in the Asahafa area of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia being undertaken by the Rayadah Investment Corporation on behalf of the Pension Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, consisting of 34 towers in an area of 1.6 million square metres. It will provide more than 3 million square metres of space for various uses, 62,000 parking spaces and accommodation for 12,000 residents. In 2011 it was the largest project in the world seeking green building accreditation. Bombardier won a $241m USD contract to build an automated monorail for the development. The district is designed to keep it isolated from close contact with the strictly monitored Riyadh society. The design guidelines do not separate the sexes in the district.The KAFD master plan was designed and overseen by Danish Architects Henning Larsen Henning Larsen Architects.
The project is estimated to cost 29 billion Saudi riyals ($7.8 billion).

As for moving within this vastly spacious Center, and among all these buildings and attraction areas, it takes place through the Center's suspended monorail which connects its different parts with each other, or through the covered suspended infantry passages which connect all the buildings of the first floor. In addition to this, there is the possibility of wandering on foot in all the Center's different parts in a smooth and safe way, through an environment abounded in passages, parks, flowers, and trees.

The project under finishing construction stages