Saudi Arabia’s Ha’il Prepares to Open Its Central District at a Cost of SAR 268.5 Million

HAIL, SAUDI ARABIA, October 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The city of Ha’il in northern Saudi Arabia is preparing to inaugurate the Central District Development Project on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of the Ha’il Region. Covering an area of more than 750,000 square meters and costing SAR 268.5 million, the project aims to revitalize the city center and strengthen its position as a destination for commerce, tourism and culture.

Engineer Sultan bin Hamid Al-Zaydi, Mayor of the Ha’il Region, said in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Al Riyadh that the project reorganizes the relationship between people and place, combining improvements to the urban landscape with the preservation of the area’s architectural and historical identity. He stressed that its opening marks a shift from completing facilities to enabling the community to benefit from them, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

He explained that the project is connected to six main roads and includes 18 kilometers of routes, comprising 12 kilometers for pedestrians and six kilometers for cyclists. It also includes 3,000 thousand trees, 1,500 parking spaces, an open-air theatre covering 13,000 square meters, interactive fountains covering 12,000 square meters, and 17 commercial venues for restaurants and cafés.

He added that the district, which carries the identity “Patterns for Life,” provides 300,000 square meters of healthy public spaces and 250,000 square meters of recreational areas. It offers opportunities for shopping, strolling, sports and events, while taking into account the needs of children, older people and persons with disabilities, and providing spaces for families and young people that encourage community gatherings and physical activity.

Al-Zaydi explained that the development began by addressing conflicts between vehicle and pedestrian movement, upgrading open spaces and improving the environment around the markets. The work included converting sections of Afnan Street that had been used for parking into a pedestrian walkway connected to Barzan Market, enhancing pedestrian movement and giving the market and its surroundings an opportunity to benefit from increased visitor numbers.

He affirmed that the project connects its modern facilities with a historic setting that includes A’arif Castle and Al-Qishlah Castle. It also enhances the presence of local crafts, products and Ha’ili culture in the visitor experience. He noted that preserving the district’s character is essential to the success of the development and to transforming central Ha’il from a thoroughfare into a destination for people to spend time and enjoy an experience.

Economically, the Mayor of Ha’il revealed that the project aims to attract 1.5 million visits during its first year of operation, provide more than 1,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, and offer 25 investment opportunities. It also aims to achieve a beneficiary satisfaction rate of at least 85% and full occupancy of all 17 commercial venues.

He explained that a variety of activities and longer visitor stays would support restaurants, cafés, retail trade, crafts and tourism services. He noted that entrepreneurs and productive families would be given opportunities to offer products and services suited to the destination, and that events would be linked to the skills and products of the local community.

On the services front, Al-Zaydi said that public wireless internet, smart lighting, monitoring and operating systems, and support for public transport would be provided. He stressed that movement would be monitored from the start of operations, particularly during events, to improve the flow of access and travel and ensure that markets and facilities remain easy to reach.

He stated that operation of the project and investment in its commercial venues had been entrusted to Shamail, the municipality’s investment arm, while investment opportunities are offered through the Furas platform. He stressed that the project’s sustainability depends on maintenance, cleanliness, care for landscaping, service quality and a variety of activities. Its success will be assessed by visitor satisfaction, repeat visits, market activity and the effectiveness of responses to feedback.

Al-Zaydi expressed his appreciation for the support of the Saudi leadership, the follow-up by the Governor of the Ha’il Region, the backing of Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majid Al-Hogail, and coordination with the Quality of Life Program. He affirmed that the priority in the coming phase is to preserve what has been achieved and maximize its social and economic benefits for residents and visitors.

Hail
Hail Region Municipality