AN ARABIAN VISION

KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL DISTRICT: World-renowned Henning Larsen Architects has created the master plan for the largest building project on the Arabian Peninsula – Riyadh’s new financial centre. It will unite old and new Arabian urban traditions and become a landmark for Saudi Arabia’s modern development.

Over the next 7-10 years, Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh will acquire a new landmark. A completely new part of the city, the King Abdullah Financial District, will emerge right in the middle of a gigantic motorway intersection north of the city. The new district will create a distinctive feature on the skyline, while still maintaining a number of traditional characteristics from the desert landscape. The King Abdullah Financial District is the largest building project so far on the Ara-bian Peninsula.

Denmark’s world renowned Henning Larsen Architects has created the visionary master plan for the construction. The firm, which has also created the legendary Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, won the competition for the financial centre, and functions as building consultants to the owners, Public Pension Authority and Capital Market Agency.

A symbol of development
The new financial district will cover an area of 1.6 km2 and provide 75,000 workplaces. In a number of ways, the King Abdullah Financial District will serve as a symbol for modern development in Saudi Arabia.

“Our master plan not only involves the largest building project so far in Riyadh, but also touches on the development of society itself in the country,” says Louis Becker, director and partner of Henning Larsen Architects. “We are planning a number of new initiatives which will significantly change the way people live, work and travel. But at the same time we are ensuring that they are appropriate to the country and the climate.”

Until now, Riyadh has developed mainly by the outspread of relatively low-rise buildings. The King Abdullah Financial District will give the city a whole new profile with high-rise buildings, of which the highest will be 365 meters. A consistent feature of the master plan is to exploit an existing wadi – a low-lying area in the desert where greenery springs up after rain. The wadi will be a green and shaded area, which traverses the entire financial district.

Banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions have already reserved around 50% of the building lots. Louis Becker expects that site preparation will begin in 2007.

New ways of transport
Today, a car is essential for getting round Riyadh. But when the King Abdullah Financial District is built, businessmen will be able to travel to their meetings on foot.

“Covered footbridges above street level will connect the buildings, making it possible to walk easily from one to another,” says Louis Becker. “It will help to create a new business environment and serve as a model for new ways of working in Saudi Arabia.”

Integrated monorail
“The master plan is inspired by the old quarter of Al-Dirriyah with its squares and winding streets,” says Louis Becker. “The height of the houses is determined by the length of the shadows they cast on the promenades and squares, where cultural institutions, museums, conference centres and sports facilities will be placed. The financial district’s grand mosque will be built on one of the city’s largest publicly accessible squares. And in the winding streets, there will be shops, cafés and restaurants which will help keep the district a vibrant place around the clock.” “One of the biggest problems in Riyadh is the traffic,” says Louis Becker. “There are very few public means of transport, so cars dominate the scene. To reduce their number in the streets of the financial centre, an overhead monorail – one of the first in Saudi Arabia –will be built. This will be integrated with a future city monorail and will bring in commuters from a number of car parks outside the district, where the water and power utilities will also be located.”

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