Dubai-based URB has revealed plans for Alnama, a 10km² smart city in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The plan is for Alnama to become a zero-carbon destination. The city will promote sustainable living in a 10km² community with various hubs including residential, educational, commercial, tourism and medical.

Derived from the Arabic word “thrive”, Alnama is planned to provide 11,000 residential units for a population of 44,000 people. The 1000 hectare development will create 10,000 jobs in various sectors including green-tech industries to create a green circular economy for the city.

The project is masterminded by URB and provides high standards of social, environmental and economic sustainability. Various hubs will transform the city into an attraction for ecotourists and medical tourists. The green-tech hub will provide an ecosystem for urban-tech companies related to food, energy, water, waste, mobility and building materials.

Baharash Bagherian, CEO of URB, has masterminded designs of various sustainable cities including recently launched projects such as Sustainable City in Yiti, Sustainable City Yas Island, Nexgen Sustainable City and more yet to be revealed.

“Alnama aims to be the next generation of self-sufficient city, producing all the city’s renewable energy needs, as well as the resident’s caloric food intake on site,” said Bagherian. “Biosaline agriculture, productive gardens, wadis and carbon-rich habitats are key features of the development’s innovative and resilient landscape design. The city was planned through the design of its landscape, rather than its buildings. This creates an urbanism that is more socially inclusive, more economically valuable, and more sensitive to the environment.”

Eco-friendly glamping lodges, eco resorts as well as a nature conservation centre are key components of the hospitality hub, which will promote ecotourism. An autism village, wellness centre and clinics within the medical hub should promote medical tourism.

Ultimately the city will become a work, live and visit destination where people, planet and profit can thrive in balance. The goal is for it to become a benchmark model for all future cities to be planned to promote greener economies that centre around food, water, energy and waste.

Features include:100% renewable energy, water recycling and waste recycling; 44.5km of dedicated running, cycling and equestrian tracks; and facilities for ecotourism, medical tourism and edutainment tourism.

URB is headquartered in Dubai’s Design District with several mega-scale smart cities in the planning stages.