Marafy: Saudi Arabia unveils new megacity project featuring 11-km-long canal 'Oasis'
Marafy, backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and managed by ROSHN Group, is set to offer a remarkable waterfront experience reminiscent of London, featuring an 11-kilometer-long canal.
FollowRiyadh: A proposal to build a megacity in Saudi Arabia is expected to feature an iconic waterfront akin to London's. According to an Al-Arabiya article, the city of Marafy will be constructed north of Jeddah and feature a mixed-use land development. The publication also stated in its claim that it will have a seven-mile (11-kilometer) man-made canal in the middle that can accommodate 130,000 people. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia is supporting ROSHN Group in the construction of Marafy.
Developers claim that the purpose of the megacity is to integrate a marine environment into the centre of a historic city that has long been a destination for pilgrims, traders, and visitors. According to Al-Arabiya, there will be several distinct districts encircling the navigable canal, which is 11 kilometres long and 100 metres wide. It connects to and extends Obhur Creek.
"Marafy will be a gamechanger on 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," David Grover, Group CEO of ROSHN Group, said in a release.
He continued by saying that Marafy is one of the iconic projects that would establish Jeddah as a premier travel destination.
An intermodal transportation system featuring water taxis, buses and subways will link the canal's waterfront neighbourhoods to one another and the rest of Jeddah. Additionally, a direct connection to King Abdulaziz International Airport will be available.
The Kingdom is also constructing Neom, a brand-new city on the Red Sea coast, so this is yet another large-scale undertaking by the Kingdom. With a $500 billion budget, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is promoting Neom as a city that will completely transform Saudi Arabia's economy and act as a testing ground for innovative technologies that have the potential to transform everyday life.
