Saudi infrastructure projects receive global recognition

Three projects in Saudi Arabia have received global recognition after being chosen among the 100 most innovative and inspiring urban infrastructure projects in the world, in the much anticipated second edition of KPMG’s Infrastructure 100 report.

KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Practice’s "Infrastructure 100 World Cities Edition" released recently at the World Cities Summit in Singapore, provides an insight into the infrastructure projects that make great cities, with a particular focus on the innovations that make them "Cities of the Future" – places where people want to live and do business.

Profiles of Madinah Airport and Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University for Women are featured in the second edition, alongside other standout projects from around the globe. The Saudi projects defeated hundreds of submissions to be selected by a regional judging panel. The Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University for Women tops the education infrastructure category and is acknowledged by KPMG as one of the top 10 infrastructure projects across the globe.

Urban infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. In Saudi Arabia the government has announced huge investment in the development and maintenance of its domestic infrastructure to balance the needs of a growing population, economy and the environment. Abdullah Al Fozan, KPMG in Saudi Arabia’s chairman, said: "The world’s cities, which are home to more than half of the global population, are facing unprecedented pressure and demand for investment in infrastructure. These innovative examples of infrastructure projects have radically altered the urban environment in Saudi Arabia.” – SG