The joy of knowledge

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The Taiba Hi-Tech Park for Knowledge-Based Industries, meanwhile, is slated to incorporate buildings fitted with cutting-edge telecommunications and artistic technology. The park will contain resources for distance learning, electronic government, tourism technology, call centres and improvement of Arabic language. Its main function will be to provide entrepreneurs with a supportive and competitive environment to develop and grow burgeoning businesses.   

The 130,000m² Seerah Land Theme Park, on the other hand, will create a cultural and historical background to the modern Muslim experience. By using state-of-the-art multimedia, laser and digital technology, visitors of all ages can explore the legacy and heritage of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In addition, the theme park will detail the lives of the other prophets, the dynasties of Islamic civilizations and the Muslim contribution to world knowledge.

Combining the old with the new

In the design for Knowledge Economic City, Quad, Creative Kingdom and HOK all strived to retain the look and feel of a traditional souk while crafting a high-tech modern Arabian development. “A lot of the building vocabulary is intended to reflect the Medina-style of architecture. We were looking for something that was traditional with a modern twist. As such, the mixture of tradition and modernity is intended to knit the whole city together,” says Hajjar.

“There used to be a wonderful Old Town in Medina with magnificent traditional Islamic architecture in the residential and commercial structures. However, the pressure of developing the city centre around the Holy Mosque was so tremendous that these traditional relics were totally demolished in order to develop access and accommodation for visitors to the mosque,” says Telmesani. “Preserving tradition while developing this project was very important to me.”  
 

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In order to maximise pedestrian circulation, KEC architecture incorporated several shaded green areas within the built environment which facilitates a walkable, user-friendly city that encourages interaction. “You’ll notice that the buildings are not perpendicular to King Abdul Aziz Road; they’re actually skewed and set back. We tried to create a series of pedestrian pockets, which will form areas for cafes and open green spaces. This is meant to add another level of pedestrian hierarchy to the main road,” says Hajjar.  

Phase One infrastructure also includes a multi-modal transportation system traversing the median of King Abdullah Aziz Road, which will directly connect KEC residents with the Holy Mosque in Medina and the Holy Mosques in Mecca and Jeddah, as well as the other ECs. “Beneath the plaza, there is an intended landing point for the train, with the idea being that people can walk up to the plaza and be immediately connected to either side of the city,” says Hajjar. “We wanted to link the population to the site without creating an urban jungle.”

Facing up to difficulties

The major challenges of the KEC project varied depending on perspective. While HOK struggled with orienting the buildings to keep end-users in continuous view of the Holy Mosque, angling backstreets to maximise airflow and managing future population growth, Quad and SAGIA struggled with well-established political restrictions. 

“Generally, in Saudi Arabia, citizens of GCC countries can own property but restrictions remain in Medina and Mecca. This is not to mention citizens of countries outside the GCC, who are barred from owning land anywhere in Saudi Arabia. But, with the help of SAGIA and the Saudi government, arrangements have been made to simplify visas and, hopefully, to offer 50-plus year leases to allow foreigners a long-term option,” says Telmesani.   

KEC clients are certain that the only things preventing more people from relocating to Medina are a lack of living and working options and they’re convinced that projects like these are changing the face of Saudi Arabia. “I think this is mostly attributed to the leadership of King Abdullah Aziz and his sense of the necessity for change,” says Telmesani. “If the saying, ‘If you build it, they will come’ applies anywhere on earth, it’s here in the city of Medina.”