Green Riyadh Megaproject Begins Construction on 3 Large-Scale Parks

The Green Riyadh Project, launched by King Salman in 2019, looks to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors of Riyadh by increasing the amount of green, recreational spaces in the city. The aim is to increase green spaces by sixteen times the current coverage (from 1.7 to 28 square metres per capita), and thus transform Riyadh into one of the world’s most sustainable cities.

The initiative contributes significantly to reaching the targets of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which entails planting ten billion trees in the Kingdom. Of the ten billion, approximately seven and a half million will be planted by Green Riyadh alone.

Organisers of the megaproject have announced the beginning of construction for three large-scale parks in the city, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Spanning over 550,000 square metres, the parks will be located in the districts of Al-Munsiyah, Al-Rimal and Al-Qadisiyah.

The increased level of green space will mitigate the effects of pollution and dust on air pollution, as well as help reduce temperatures. The parks will also feature a variety of amenities, including but not limited to 18 km of walking trails, 8 km of running tracks, 8.5 km of bicycle paths, 22 play areas for children, green amphitheatres, plazas, open-air theatres, sports facilities and water features to enhance the visitor experience.

Green Riyadh is also working on other initiatives in the city: neighbourhood parks, lining sidewalks with trees, as well as landscaping mosques, schools and government buildings. To support these extensive plans, the project is also developing 1,350 km of irrigation networks across the city.