Construction continues on King Salman Park in Riyadh, a 16.9-square-kilometre public landscape taking shape on the grounds of the city's former airport. Led by Omrania as lead design consultant, in collaboration with Henning Larsen for master planning and urban design, the project reimagines the centrally located site as a large-scale green and cultural district. Conceived as a new civic core for the capital, the park combines ecological restoration, public programming, and mixed-use development. Initial phases are expected to open in late 2026, with substantial completion targeted for 2027, following a phased construction schedule currently underway.
First announced in 2019 by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the initiative of Mohammed bin Salman, and overseen by the King Salman Park Foundation, the project forms part of Riyadh's broader urban transformation agenda. With an estimated cost of SR 72 billion, the development aims to transform a vast, previously restricted airfield into a publicly accessible landscape integrated within the metropolitan fabric. Located near the geographic center of Riyadh, the park is planned as a transit-oriented destination, connected to five metro stations and ten bus rapid transit stops, reinforcing its role within the city's public transport network.
The master plan organizes the park around a network of branching valleys inspired by regional wadi systems, converging toward a central open space. This topographical strategy structures circulation and distributes shaded pedestrian corridors, recreational spaces, and gathering areas throughout the park. Approximately one million trees are planned across the site, supported by environmental systems that include treated wastewater irrigation and soil regeneration layers designed to improve water retention. These measures respond to Riyadh's arid climate and frame the project as both a landscape intervention and an infrastructural undertaking.
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At the heart of the project, a circular internal promenade referred to as the Innovation Loop structures movement within the park. Designed for walking, cycling, and electric or autonomous transit, the loop connects cultural venues, sports facilities, and mixed-use zones distributed throughout the site. Planned components include the Royal Arts Complex by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, featuring performance and exhibition spaces, as well as a visitors pavilion and residential and commercial districts framing the landscape. As construction progresses toward its first public opening in 2026, King Salman Park represents one of the largest urban park developments currently underway globally.
In other developments across Saudi Arabia, the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale opened on January 30, 2026, at JAX District in Riyadh and will remain on view through May 2, 2026, continuing the country's expanding program of contemporary art initiatives. Meanwhile, the capital is preparing to host Expo 2030 Riyadh after its Registration Dossier received formal approval from the Bureau International des Expositions. Scheduled to take place from October 1, 2030, to March 31, 2031, the event will be held on a newly planned site in Riyadh, based on a master plan developed by LAVA – Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, marking the next phase of large-scale urban development in the city.
