MANUFACTURING MANUFACTURING OTHERS MIDDLE EAST SAUDI ARABIA

Knowledge Economic City

Article - December 5, 2011

The Knowledge Economic City (KEC) will be a cultural landmark and the focal point of Saudi Arabia’s knowledge-based industries. Situated to the east of Al-Madinah, it will revive the city’s role as a center for Islamic knowledge and culture. The city will create opportunities for young Saudi entrepreneurs and attract talent from different parts of the world

KEC will cover an area of 4.8 million square meters, and 20,000 jobs will be created.

Different centers will feed the city with knowledge. The Taiba Complex for Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and will focus on Arabic.

The city will comprise a complex for technology and knowledge-based economies, technological and administrative colleges specializing in IT, software development and business administration, an Islamic civilization studies center, a business center and a complex for medical studies, biological sciences and health services.

THE LOCATION OF KEC WITHIN HOLY BOUNDARIES IS EXPECTED TO ATTRACT BOTH NATIONAL AND FOREIGN VISITORS

A world-class business center will occupy the heart of the city, and support operations in Medina.

The location of KEC within holy boundaries is expected to attract both national and foreign visitors throughout the year. Given KEC’s proximity to the Holy Mosque in Al-Madinah, new infrastructure is planned to connect the city with Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport, KAEC, Makkah, Yanbu and Jeddah.

Different investment modes have been formulated to attract investment to KEC, which include strategic partnerships and joint ventures, direct land sale to developers and long-term land lease.