When a sprawling urban renewal project breaks ground in a regional capital, it often signals more than just new pavement and planters—it points to a government’s broader ambitions for how its citizens live, move, and gather. That is precisely the scale of what just happened in Hail, Saudi Arabia, where a massive investment aims to rewire the heart of the city around pedestrians, greenery, and community life.
His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of Hail Region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, presided over the inauguration of the Central Area Development Project, which covers an area of more than 750,000 square meters at a total cost of approximately SAR 268 million. The project aims to revitalize the city center, enhance quality of life, and create an integrated urban environment that supports social, cultural, and economic activities.
The project, which is connected to six major roads, represents a comprehensive development transformation that has reshaped the urban landscape. It has brought about a radical change to the city center’s squares, Afnaan Street, and its diverse markets, while reorganizing traffic and pedestrian movement, addressing visual distortions, and rehabilitating public spaces to enhance their usability. It also connects markets and facilities through pedestrian routes while preserving the architectural identity of the Central Area and its historical and commercial significance.
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Pedestrians and green spaces take center stage in this design, with the planting of 3,000 trees along 12 kilometers of pedestrian pathways and the provision of six kilometers of cycling routes. It also creates an environment conducive to daily activities and social interaction through an open-air theater covering 13,000 square meters and interactive fountains extending over an area of 12,000 square meters.
Behind the scenes, the project incorporates a comprehensive urban infrastructure comprising an extensive network of facilities that integrate advanced infrastructure with public spaces. These include 1,500 parking spaces, 17 commercial outlets for restaurants and cafés, and 250,000 square meters allocated for community events. All these facilities are integrated with modern management and operational systems, contemporary lighting, public internet access and Wi-Fi, in addition to support for public transportation services. These features are aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to humanize cities and improve quality of life.
The redevelopment of Afnaan Street in Hail has transformed areas previously used for vehicle parking into a pedestrian promenade connected to Barzan Market, allowing smoother pedestrian movement. Meanwhile, the rehabilitation of the dates and vegetable market area and the surrounding squares has reorganized the use of the space, improved the urban landscape, and created areas for sitting, strolling, and community activities, thereby enhancing the vitality of the city center and strengthening residents’ and visitors’ connection to it.
Historical landmarks also get a renewed spotlight, foremost among them Qishlah Palace and A’arif Fort, as part of an urban experience that connects the area’s historical heritage with contemporary life. It also creates promising opportunities for local businesses, entrepreneurs, artisans, and productive families.
Hail Region Mayor Eng. Sultan bin Hamid Al-Zaidi stated that the inauguration of the Central Area represents a significant milestone in the development of Hail, transforming the heart of the city into an integrated urban environment that balances urban development with environmental sustainability. He noted that this constitutes a practical realization of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives related to improving quality of life and humanizing cities.
He further explained that the redevelopment has repurposed spaces in the city center to better serve people by providing walking and cycling routes, increasing tree coverage, rehabilitating public squares, and connecting facilities and markets within an environment that promotes ease of movement, social interaction, and daily activities.
Eng. Al-Zaidi added that the project’s developmental impact extends to stimulating commercial activity, enhancing investment attractiveness, and supporting tourism and cultural activities. He emphasized that sustaining this impact depends on efficient operation and maintenance, preserving the quality of facilities and the urban landscape, and diversifying programs and events. These efforts will ensure that the community continues to benefit from the project and strengthen the Central Area’s position as a vibrant destination that brings together Hail’s distinctive identity and the requirements of its urban development.
Why it matters: This project is a tangible example of how Saudi Arabia is channeling its Vision 2030 goals into physical spaces outside its major metropolitan hubs. By investing heavily in public amenities and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in Hail, the government is signaling a commitment to distributing economic and social development across the kingdom, potentially setting a template for similar urban revitalization efforts in other regions.
Hail
Hail Region Municipality
