Oct 18, 2024
The Saudi capital has been experiencing an optimal evolution that redefined the paradigm of Riyadh as the limits of the globe, rather than the city map. Adding to this effect, many Riyadh mega projects have been developed by the government or private companies investing in the massive potentiality looming in the horizon of the city. Indeed, major projects in Saudi Arabia are being constructed in Riyadh, being the gravitational centre of the Saudi Vision 2030 wonders implementation.
Tracing the Saudi mega projects in Riyadh, an observer can notice the various aims they are targeting; for example, some are establishing basis to enhance the infrastructure of the city, some to promote economic and social development, some for attracting more international tourism, while others aim at increasing property value in the surrounding area.
This blog will tackle these projects, and the strategic importance behind each of Riyadh mega projects.
The largest urban park in the world, and standing in the middle of the capital, King Salman Park is a huge project Saudi Arabia launched under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, on 19 March 2019. It promises to provide an array of sports, cultural, artistic, and recreational lists of activities for the residents and visitors of Riyadh, translating the agenda of Saudi Vision 2030. The park spans over 16 km2, covering 11.6 km2 of open green areas, and housing one million trees. Being one of the major projects in Saudi Arabia, the park boasts off various internal recreational projects, including:
Exceeding over 400,000 square meters in space, the complex covers an endless list of artistic platforms, such as the National Theatre with a seating capacity of 2500 slots, 5 museums of different sizes, an outdoor theatre with a capacity of 8000 audience, a complex with 3 cinema halls, 4 art academies and an educational centre for kids dedicated to flourishing children’s talents.
Mega projects in Saudi Arabia make sure to touch upon highlighting the local culture in the country; hence the park presents 7 different museums including: Aviation Museum, Astronomy and Space Museum, Science Museum, Museum of Plants, Virtual Reality Museum, Architecture Museum; plazas to host different events, covering total area of 40,000 square meters; in addition to artworks and landmarks.
Saudi mega projects are embodiments of Saudi Vision 2030; thus, the park also reflects the sports agenda planned in the vision. To impact the sports strategy in the Kingdom, the project offers a Royal Golf Course covering an area of 850,000 square meters, a sports complex over an area of 50,000 square meters, a virtual reality court, a sky diving centre, an equestrian centre, running and biking routes, a 100,000 square meter amusement park, a 140,000 square meter aquapark, a family amusement centre, a tower and a skybridge.
An 80,000 square meter space, it features an environmental, cultural, and educational centre, offering interactive shows to its visitors, as well as multi-purpose halls, a meeting room, a plant nursery, coffee shops and restaurants.
In addition to its touristic and recreational functions, this huge project Saudi Arabia developed in Riyadh contains residential compounds providing 12,000 housing units, besides 16 hotels with a total of 2300 rooms, and 500,000 square meters of retail spaces.
Counting as one of the major projects in Saudi Arabia, the park encompasses all the services of people’s everyday life, offering, as such, mosques, police, healthcare, educational and social facilities. Also, it gives various options for the daily activities practiced in the Saudi lifestyle, providing public libraries, 280,000 square meters of parking spaces, main and service roads, walkways and pathways.
Fulfilling another target of the Saudi Vision 2030,Riyadh green project ensures the increase of green spaces and availing them to all citizens around the capital. Constituting one of Riyadh mega projects, it aims at enhancing its natural setting to guarantee a sustainable future with pure air and water for this generation and the next ones.
The Riyadh Green Project invites Riyadh’s citizens to enjoy a healthy lifestyle by providing for them all the means to do so, as it encourages the plantation of 7.5 million trees across the capital, dividing them across:
· 3,330 neighbourhood gardens
· 43 parks
· 9,000 mosques
· 6,000 schools
· 2,000 car parking sites
· 1,670 public facilities
· 390 healthcare facilities
· 64 universities and collages
· 16,400 kms of streets and roads
· 1,100 km green belts along utilities lines (power stations, oil pipelines, etc.)
· 272 km valleys
· 175,000 sq. km of empty land
Developing the agricultural stance in the Kingdom, Riyadh Green Project is a huge project Saudi Arabia established in the capital, blending nature with technology in it, to inspire the eco-friendly life integration into all other mega projects in Saudi Arabia.
Envisioning the one spirit this planet lives through, the Saudi Vision 2030 believes that the welfare of humans derives its basis from the welfare of nature. Thus, housing around 72 native shade plant species compatible with Riyadh’s environment, this project guarantees the survival of this minute ecosystem of the Riyadh set of plants.
Major projects in Saudi Arabia set every step in advance; therefore, irrigation for the park is set through a network of treated water with daily capacity of 1,000,000 m3. As well, the source of seedlings and trees will be plant nurseries. The project also promises breakthrough afforestation regulations in public and private projects to ensure the implementation of the green initiative, inviting, as such voluntary engagement on all levels of the society.
The third of Riyadh Mega Projects, set to shape the final version of Saudi Vision 2030. The project divides the capital into 10-program main areas of residential neighbourhoods, gardens, parks, squares, metro/bus stations, bridges, city entrances and tourism destinations. Across these areas, 1000 works of art and landmarks, crafted by international artists, will be breathing inspiration among their surroundings.
A huge project Saudi Arabia is implementing in the heart of Riyadh to turn the capital into one vast artistic exhibition. A rich cultural program that will host two annual creative festivals, boosting Riyadh as an intellectual centre, in addition to the ten major programs which include:
A symbol of unhindered development, the epoch of evolution Riyadh is experiencing right now is embodied in this icon.
A sculpture park reimagining the integration of art, technology and environmental aspects of Riyadh’s life; an open-air museum.
Around 100 artworks spanning 5 locations, these masterpieces are echoing historical, authentic, and the natural spirit of the Riyadh wadis.
Bridges are not simply connecting roads anymore, they communicate the spirit of unifying the city under one light of ambition, as 3 artists will be illuminating 10 bridges around Riyadh.
A huge project Saudi Arabia has launched to encourage a healthy and eco-conscious lifestyle where the transportation system shifts to be walk-based, with the Metro helping for long-distance travel within the city. It will be covering 10 locations with over 70 elements of walkways.
6 metro lines, 80 stations, 3 bus terminals, and more than 1000 sheltered stations or stops will be adorned with artworks to integrate the spirit of creativity into Riyadh’s everyday life.
The core of Riyadh is set to be one whole work of art by Saudi Vision 2030, as 19 locations of bridges, overpasses, major roads, and rail intersections will be lighted with colourful illumination of creativity.
Establishing Riyadh as a cultural symbol, 10 iconic “gates of culture” will be welcoming you at the entrance of the city in 10 separate locations.
24 works of art will be installed in 15 locations as they aim to transform Riyadh landscape into an open-air gallery for Contemporary Public Art.
Kids’ playgrounds are redefined in Riyadh parks, as 3000 elements will be featured around 200 parks of all sizes around the capital to create more inspiring places for the children to have educational adventures.
4 pavilions and 4 Interactive artworks will be installed in 8 urban locations to provide a direct communication between art produces and recipients in Riyadh.
Coming from all over the world, a group of elite sculptors will be joining to carve permanent creativity in the heart of Riyadh, open to the public to refine the general cultural mood of the city.
When light and art are celebrated in an annual festival, that is when Riyadh inspires the world with stupendous manifestations of art exhibitions, accompanied by an itinerary of talks, tours, workshops, and events.
The fourth pillar of the Mega projects in Saudi Arabia capital, launched as a part of Saudi Vision 2030. Its main purpose is to inspire a healthy lifestyle among the citizens of Riyadh, who will constitute a major factor in upscaling Riyadh ranking on the international level.
From Hanifah valley in the West to Al Salai Valley in the East, 135 kms of greenery will be your companion along various pathways dedicated for pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riding. There will also be designated areas for sporting activities, rising high up in the air the masterpiece of the Sport Tower.
4.2M sqm of greenery will span over 3.5 sq.km. of the Sports Boulevard, with 20 sq.km. of desert park that include event venues, show piazza, outdoor museums and movie theaters. As one of Saudi mega projects, investments will have their share, besides recreational and commercial activities, and together they will paint a canvas of rich cultural lifestyle in the city.
The main zones the Sports Boulevard will be covering are:
· Hanifah Valley Zone: 30 km from Al Olab Dam in historical Diyriah (north), to Al Madina Al Monawara Road (south).
· Arts District: 3 km, from King Khalid Road (west), providing cultural, art and recreational facilities.
· Urban Wadi Zone: 3.5 km and is located alongside Al Aysen valley, from Suwaid bin Harthah Road to King Fahad Road (west).
· Entertainment District: 4 km in between King Fahad Road (west) and Othman bin Affan Road, and a 40 km long viaduct for professional cyclists, in addition to an at-grade track for amateur cycling.
· Athletics District: 5 km from Othman bin Affan Road to Airport Road (east).
· Environmental Zone: 14 km from Airport Road to Al Janadriyah Road, along Al Sulai valley.
· Al Sulai Valley Zone: 53 km along Al Sulai Valley, from King Fahad Stadium to Binban Park.
· Red Sand Park: A 5 sq km zoo and a rural resort with different residential facilities.
Saudi mega projects are founded as a translation of the ambitions manifested in Saudi Vision 2030. They reflect the real visionary conception of the Kingdom of the future, and how it is planning for Riyadh to be among the top-ranking metropolis in the world, leading its way to the top of the pyramid in the near future.
To know more about Saudi mega projects and events, you are welcome to visit the experts’ blogs section on our website.
There are 4 major Projects in Saudi Arabia that are being constructed on the way of implementing the Saudi Vision 2030, and they are: King Salman Park Project, Riyadh Green Project, Riyadh Art Project, and Sports Track Project.
Being one of Riyadh Mega Projects, the park boasts off various internal recreational projects, including: The Royal Arts Complex, cultural facilities, sports and entertainment facilities, public facilities and services, in addition to residential and hotel facilities.
Of course, there is Riyadh Green Project which is a huge project Saudi Arabia has launched to encourage the plantation of 7.5 million trees across the capital, providing as such a healthy lifestyle.
Yes, Riyadh mega projects provide investment spaces for the ambitious investors from all around the world.
Written by: Sarah Chaher
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August 2, 2026
Before you ask which property to buy, ask which type to buy. Choosing among the types of real estate investment is the decision that sets how much capital you need, what shape your return takes, and how quickly you can exit if circumstances change. With the options in Saudi Arabia now spanning residential, commercial, land, off-plan and funds, the question is no longer whether to invest in property — it is which type.
Before comparing, one distinction that trips up a lot of investors:
The type determines what you own; the strategy determines how you profit from it. This guide focuses on the type.
Covers apartments, villas and residential units within larger developments. It carries the broadest demand in the Saudi market, because that demand is driven by a basic need rather than a business cycle, which makes it the least volatile of the six.
Investors who want regular rental income with limited risk, and first-time buyers entering through direct ownership.
You can browse available residential units across Mada Properties’ developments and compare them by district and price.
Covers offices, retail units and commercial space. It offers longer lease terms, and tenants often carry part of the operating and maintenance costs, which lifts the net yield above residential.
Investors with larger capital and a longer horizon, who accept that the return tracks the business cycle.
Buying a plot to hold until its value rises with urban expansion, or to develop later. Its main advantage is that it needs no maintenance, no management, and never becomes obsolete. The trade-off is that it produces nothing until it is sold or developed.
Investors with surplus liquidity they will not need for several years, and the patience to wait for the location to mature.
Buying a unit under construction below its expected handover price, paying in instalments tied to construction milestones. It is one of the fastest-growing types in the Saudi market, because it lets you enter at a lower price with payments spread across years rather than a single lump sum.
Investors who want early entry into a promising location without holding the full amount today, and who can wait until handover.
Rather than buying a whole property, you buy units in a managed portfolio listed on the financial market and receive periodic distributions. It is the lowest-cost entry into the property sector.
Investors entering the property market with small capital, or diversifying an existing portfolio without taking on any management burden.
Covers warehouses, storage facilities and industrial units. Demand has grown alongside the expansion of logistics activity and e-commerce in the Kingdom, and it offers long lease terms with institutional tenants.
Institutional investors, or those with direct experience in this specific sector.
The fastest route to the right type is not searching for the best one — it is eliminating the ones that do not fit. Each of your constraints removes one or more from the list:
What survives those four cuts is your real shortlist, and it rarely runs to more than two options.
Note that none of these started with the question "which one yields most?" The return is the result of choosing correctly — not the criterion for choosing.
When it comes to choosing the type specifically, who advises you matters more than anything else. A developer holding a residential project will recommend residential. A landowner will recommend land. Not because they are misleading you, but because that is all they have.
At Mada Properties we work as a licensed real estate broker rather than a developer, which means we have no stake in steering you toward one type over another. We start from your objective, then search the whole market for what serves it.
No type is better than another in the abstract — only better suited to a specific objective, horizon and level of capital. Residential gives you stability. Commercial gives a higher yield at greater risk. Land gives growth without income. Off-plan gives early entry at a lower price. REITs give an easy way in with high liquidity.
Start by settling your objective and your time horizon, then speak to the Mada Properties team for a recommendation built on an actual reading of the market rather than a list of available units.
Residential apartments in active districts are the clearest route for anyone starting with direct ownership, since demand is stable and management is simpler. For those starting with limited capital, REITs offer an easier entry with no management burden at all.
Residential carries lower risk, leases more easily and suits individual investors. Commercial delivers a higher rental yield on longer leases, but requires more capital and is more exposed to an economic slowdown. The choice depends on your capital and your tolerance for vacancy periods.
Direct ownership means buying, managing and carrying full responsibility for the asset, in return for greater control and a higher yield. REITs allow entry with less capital, higher liquidity and no management, in exchange for lower returns and limited influence over portfolio decisions.
Over the long term, yes, particularly along the paths of urban expansion. But it generates no income during the holding period, which means capital sits idle for years. It suits investors with surplus liquidity who do not need a recurring return.
Under the framework in force since January 2026, non-Saudis may own property within designated zones including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar, with applications made through the Saudi Real Estate portal. REITs are accessible through the financial market.
August 2, 2026
Saudi Arabia hosts the Asia Cup 2027 from 7 January to 5 February, with 24 teams playing across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. For the Saudi real estate market, the significance is not the month of football. It is the build cycle underneath it, one that runs on to Expo 2030 Riyadh and the 2034 World Cup.
The property impact starts with the project ledger, not the match schedule. What is taking shape:
These are permanent assets; they outlast the final whistle.
The effect reaches the market through three channels.
Short-term rentals appear fastest and fade quickest, concentrated around venues during the tournament weeks. Infrastructure capitalisation matters far more: a district exits with a higher service level than it entered with, and that lift in land and unit values holds. Third, accelerated delivery timelines in Riyadh convert seasonal demand into structural demand.
Yes, but selectively rather than across the board. Gains concentrate near venues and new transport corridors, while the wider market stays governed by supply, demand and financing conditions. Outcomes from previous host cities should not be transposed onto Saudi Arabia mechanically.
The broader trend is the more reliable guide. The Real Estate General Authority projects the market to reach around 101.62 billion dollars by 2029, at roughly 8 percent CAGR. Vision 2030 drives that trajectory; the tournament accelerates it rather than creating it.
Demand concentrates in north and central Riyadh, closest to transport links and business districts. Currently available through Mada:
We work as a licensed brokerage rather than a developer, so the options we show you are the market's, not our own inventory. We read the indicators, shortlist what fits your objective, compare the alternatives honestly, and stay with you through completion.
The Asia Cup 2027 will not redraw the Saudi property map overnight. It will accelerate a cycle already under way and hand specific districts a lasting advantage. Talk to Mada Properties about the option that fits your objective.
7 January to 5 February 2027 in Saudi Arabia, across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar, with 24 teams.
No. Gains concentrate near venues and new transport corridors; the wider market follows supply, demand and financing.
The short-term rental effect does. The infrastructure effect stays and continues supporting values.
August 2, 2026
Riyadh will host Expo 2030 on a six-million-square-metre site north of the capital, next to King Salman International Airport, with more than 40 million visits expected. This article covers how Expo 2030 impacts real estate investment in Riyadh, where the opportunities are concentrated, and when the timing is right to enter.
The event draws millions of visitors and thousands of companies and delegations, lifting demand for residential, hotel, and commercial units before and after it takes place. With limited developed land in the serviced areas of North Riyadh, this demand gradually pushes prices and rental yields upward around the site.
Estimates from Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, owned by the Public Investment Fund, point to a GDP contribution of about SAR 241 billion during the construction phase, and more than SAR 262 billion in total. This spending concentrates in construction and infrastructure — feeding directly into the value of nearby real estate assets.
The project is expected to create around 171,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the organizer. Each hiring wave means new residents moving to Riyadh and additional demand for housing and rentals, especially in districts close to work hubs.
Dubai and Shanghai show that real estate activity starts years before the event and continues after it. On the other hand, oversupply in some districts can pressure returns, so early entry into clearly titled assets near real demand drivers is preferable — judged on net yield, not projected price alone.
Mada Properties is a professional real estate brokerage — not a direct developer — giving you wider, more neutral options. We help you with data-driven advice to choose the right asset from Riyadh's projects before demand peaks. Contact us to build your property decision with confidence before 2030.
Most likely yes over the medium term, driven by demand and new infrastructure, with variation between districts.
North Riyadh districts near the site and the airport, such as Al Narjis, Al Arid, Al Fursan, and Al Sahafa.
Yes, under the approved ownership rules, with the option of Premium Residency when the conditions are met.