Covering 13.3 square kilometres on the grounds of the old Riyadh airport, the new King Salman Park will be the largest urban park in the world. The park will have small valleys and rock formations, a 7.2 km circular footpath and 1 million trees.
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The world’s largest urban park
The world’s largest urban park will rise in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will be called King Salman Park. It is designed to be the capital’s green lung and transform the lives of its citizens.
Among the objectives of the project is to transform the area into an accessible destination and increase citizen participation in sports as well as promote creativity and innovation.
An area of over 16.6 square kilometres, five times the size of Central Park
It will extend over 16.6 square kilometres on the grounds of a former airport in an arid part of the city.
To give an idea of the size, it will be 7 times the size of Hyde Park in London. And, 5 times the size of Central Park in New York. The park will have small valleys and rock formations. Also, a 7.2 km circular footpath and more than 11 sq km of open space and 1 million trees.
Through the creation of new microclimates and natural habitats, those who walk inside the park will find protection from sun and wind. This, according to the engineers who drew up the project.
The soil will be ‘recreated’ by combining the fragments produced by crushing different layers of soil with natural substances and materials.
In this way, it will be able to retain water and provide nutrients for plants, from all over the world, to grow properly.
It will also house museums, theatres and spaces for practising sports
The park will also house museums, theatres and spaces for practising various sports activities.
In the Royal Arts Complex, covering an area of 500,000 square metres, there will be the 110-metre high Museum World Cultures. Namely, a unique library specialising in culture and the arts with over 250,000 books inside. Also, this area will host the Royal Institute of Traditional Art and the National Theatre with 2,300 seats.
This project is part of the goals of Vision 2030, a programme that includes other mega-projects for Saudi Arabia.
Read also: The Line, the futuristic city under construction in Saudi Arabia: hell or paradise?
