Inside Marafy, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic megacity with a London-like waterfront

Saudi Arabia has big plans for the future. Coming soon is another megacity. It will boast of a grand waterfront similar to the one in London. To be called Marafy, it will be built north of Jeddah. Marafy is the second such futuristic city planned for the kingdom after NEOM , a massive engineering project powered by clean energy without streets or cars. We take a look at what Marafy will look like when ready. Saudi Arabia’s first man-made canal and more Marafy is expected to accommodate 130,000 people. It has been designed with the vision of creating an urban oasis and its highlight will be an 11-kilometre manmade canal. The water body right in the middle of a desert will bring marine life to the heart of the historic city of Jeddah, which has been attracting traders, travellers and pilgrims for centuries. It will be the first man-made canal to be built in Saudi Arabia. The canal, which will be 100-metre wide, will be navigable. It will connect to Obhur Creek and will be surrounded by multiple unique districts, according to a report on Al-Arabiya, an Arabic media channel. The waterfront will be as grand as Chicago, Stockholm, Hamburg, and central London. The waterside districts will be linked to each other and the rest of Jeddah by an inter-model transport system comprising water taxis, buses and a subway. They will also connected to the King Abdulaziz International Airport. The district will have shaded promenades and plazas, with al fresco dining, entertainment venues, parks and landscaping. Modern workspaces and stunning homes inspired by local architectural styles will create new communities, all of which will improve the quality of life, and support a thriving local economy, according to ROSHN Group, a leading real estate developer, who has undertaken the project. The spaces will be created keeping sustainability in mind. [caption id=“attachment_13359972” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The project is expected to boost the economy of Jeddah. Image courtesy: Roshn[/caption] The facades of the project will be inspired by the historical designs of the Jeddah region. They will reinvented and reinterpreted in the contemporary urban context. The project is expected to provide a big boost to Jeddah’s economy. The development of Marafy by the ROSHN Group comes under the guidance of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The group has been backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The cost of the project is not yet known. Also read: What is Saudi Arabia's giant cube-shaped skyscraper 'The Mukaab', the size of 20 Empire State Buildings? A game-changer for Jeddah “Marafy will be a game-changer in the real estate development sector, raising the bar of development in the region, boosting the quality of life, and creating a huge impact in Jeddah,” said David Grover, group CEO of ROSHN Group. ‘It is one of the iconic projects that will put Jeddah on the map of the world-class destination and one of the contributors to achieving VISION 2030 goals of creating a vibrant community and a thriving economy,” he added. [caption id=“attachment_13360012” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The city will accommodate 130,000 people. Image courtesy: Roshn[/caption] Saudi Arabia’s VISION 2030 Vision 2030 is a government programme launched in 2016 by Mohammed bin Salman with three goals in mind – to diversify the economy, modernise the society and boost the country’s global profile. The Red Sea, a luxury tourism destination, and the $1 trillion megacity NEOM are part of this scheme. NEOM will be a futuristic region in northwest Saudi Arabia, which will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. The latest development in the project comprises building a grand hotel complex called Leyja, which will be carved into the walls of a giant canyon, according to a report in The Sun. Though the project is not complete, it is expected to open doors to tourists next year. Also read: Saudi Arabia's plan to build the tallest structure ever that will run sideways for 120km Kickstarting Vision 2030, MBS said, “Our vision is a strong, thriving and stable Saudi Arabia … with Islam as its constitution and moderation as its method.” The bedrock of Saudi success, he declared, would be “moderation, tolerance, excellence, discipline, equity and transparency,” according to Arab News. With inputs from agencies