The project is the first of its kind and the third economic city in Saudi Arabia to be initiated by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) in an aggressive bid to repatriate capital and attract value-added foreign investments.

The move is part of efforts hoped to develop the Kingdom’s regions in a hi-tech manner while easing mounting pressure off the country’s three major cities’ infrastructures.

The new city, named “Knowledge Economic City” will be developed on a 4.8mn m sq. land while the built up area will near 9mn m sq. attracting SR25bn worth of investments. The project will add 20,000 new jobs to the region.

 The city will comprise various zones designed to compliment each other; a technology and Knowledge based industry zone; an advanced IT studies institute; an interactive museum on the life of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH); a center for Islamic civilization studies; a campus for medical research and life sciences; an integrated medical services zone; a retail zone; a business district; residential zones including high rises, houses, and fully-serviced apartments; shopping malls; and a mosque with a 10,000 worshipper capacity.

Transportation within KEC will be facilitated via a ring road above which rises a monorail connecting the city to neighboring Grand Mosque of Madinah within minutes. This monorail will be tethered to the planned train station thus tapping into the railway access to Makkah, Yanbu, the King Abdullah Economic City as well as the port city of Jeddah.