Saudi Arabia's future smart city project, 'New Murabba', under construction in the capital Riyadh, will incorporate K Smart technology. On the 30th, Michael Dyke, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of New Murabba, said at a press conference held in Seocho-gu, Seoul, that "Naver Cloud's smart technology will be applied at every stage of our master plan."
The two companies plan to collaborate in the fields of robotics, autonomous vehicles, smart city platforms, and digital solutions for monitoring construction progress over the next three years. This agreement was signed ahead of the 'New Murabba Investment and Partnership Forum' held in Seoul to establish strategic relations with Korean partners.
New Murabba is a smart city project being promoted by the Saudi government as part of its 'Vision 2030' initiative to prepare for a post-oil era. The New Murabba Development Company (NMDC), established by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the Saudi Kingdom, is responsible for the development of New Murabba. Approximately 100,000 housing units and 10,000 hotel rooms are set to be built in New Murabba.
The core of New Murabba is 'The Mukaab', a massive structure (cube) measuring 400 meters on each side. The Mukaab is projected to be the size of 20 Empire State Buildings in New York City, and upon completion, it is expected to be the largest building in the world. Currently, civil engineering work is underway for approximately 14 million cubic meters of volume, equivalent to around 5,400 Olympic swimming pools.
Dyke said, "New Murabba will be a highly complex ecosystem," adding, "To cope with this scale, it requires corporations that have the corresponding scale and capabilities. I was greatly impressed by the smart technologies that Naver built during my visit last year." He mentioned Naver's robot-friendly headquarters building.
New Murabba will be designed so that its 300,000 residents can perform all necessary activities within a 15-minute walk. To achieve this, 18 community facilities, including schools and hospitals, will be constructed around the Mukaab. A stadium that can accommodate 45,000 spectators will also be built for the FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2034.
As New Murabba is a large-scale smart city, collaboration with Korean corporations is anticipated in various fields. Dyke stated, "Partnerships with Korean corporations will be possible in infrastructure construction, technology, and real estate development." He noted that by early this year, there was strong interest from global companies, including those from Korea, in participating in the New Murabba project.
During the closed forum to be held on the 1st and 2nd of next month, discussions will focus on Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the master plan for New Murabba, investment and partnership opportunities, and technology and innovation. Dyke said, "Seoul, where tradition and future technology are harmonized, aligns with the spirit of New Murabba," expressing hope that the cooperative relationship that began in Seoul will expand into more international partnerships.