Saudi Arabia & KAUST - National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce

Economic Cities –
from page 14
complex, as well as
in the associated
plants required to
supply adequate
power, is estimated
at $4 billion. It is
expected to create
12,000 new jobs.
JEC attracted
Jazan Economic City
over $26 billion
worth of investment
contracts in two years, well ahead of the
target envisioned in 2006. According to
Feizal Ali, Chief Executive Officer of MMC
International, “This was a significant milestone
in the development of the city . . . and is a
testimony to the attractiveness of the city for
industrial investments.”
PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN
MOUSAED ECONOMIC CITY
(PABMEC)
Investment Size: $8 billion
Jobs: 55,000
Population: 300,000
Zones: Logistics and Transportation
Center, Dry Port, International Airport,
Petrochemical Industries Center,
Business Center, Knowledge Center,
Agriculture industries, Mining Center
Focus: logistics, agribusiness, minerals
and construction material
Developer: Al Mal Investment
Company
Located in the north-central region of Hail,
PABMEC is spread out over 156 million square
meters, and it incorporates a cluster-based
development focused on transportation, logistics
and supply chain centers. Designed to be
the largest, state-of-the-art transportation and
logistics hub in the Middle East, PABMEC’s
dry port and operations centers will be capable
of handling over 1.5 million tons of cargo a
year. Both its international airport and new
railway station have a capacity for over two to
three million passengers annually.
Hail’s strategic location, moderate climate
and well-established agricultural sector make
it one of the Kingdom’s most attractive regions
in terms of economic growth potential and
investment opportunities. “This is an exciting
time for the region,” said Hail Governor Prince
Saud bin AbdulMohsen. “The economic city
16 NUSACC • www.nusacc.org
in Hail will bring new impetus to the local
economy and create thousands of jobs both
during construction and in the long term as
it becomes a logistical hub for many different
industries.” The completion date is targeted
for 2025.
Prince Abdulaziz
Bin Mousaed
Economic City
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMIC
CITY (KEC)
Investment Size: $7 billion
Jobs: 20,000
Population Size: 150,000
Zones: Taiba Complex for Technology
and Knowledge-based Income,
Technological and Administrative
Colleges, Theme Park “Seera Land,”
Islamic Civilization Studies Centre,
Complex for Medical Studies, Biological
Sciences and Health Services, Residential
areas, King Abdul Aziz Mosque
Focus: Knowledge-based industries,
Tourism and services
Developer: Savola
Designed as a future hub for knowledgebased
industries, KEC will provide an referred
to as such in all info, “establish an alternative
central business district for Al-Madinah” –
perhaps we can just leave it as …a state-ofthe-art
business and residential district, as
well as a cultural destination for visitors to
the Holy City of Madinah. A network of
transportation facilities will connect the city
to the Holy Mosque in Madinah, as well as
to other major cities and economic centers in
Saudi Arabia.
Strategic alliances have been established
with local and foreign companies. Cisco, the
worldwide leader in networking, is designing
the technology infrastructure for the 4.8
million square-meter “Smart City” project.
Microsoft will build the Microsoft Academy
and Library, and Taibah University has signed
on to build a
state-of-the art
Research and
Development
Facility.
Training is a
key component
in KEC. With
this in mind,
communication
and IT facilities,
colleges, laborat
o r i e s , a n d
t e c h n i c a l
t r a i n i n g
workshops for
24,000 students
are being developed.
Knowledge Economic City