Shaping Saudi Arabia’s Future Cities Through Bold Ambition

Saudi Arabia's transformation is redefining how cities are planned, funded and delivered. Abdulelah Alsheikh reflects on lessons learned from giga projects, the role of governance and systems, and how ambition itself has become a national capability shaping Vision 2030.

From projects to systems

One of the biggest lessons I've carried into my role at Jacobs is that urban transformation isn't only about delivering physical projects. True transformation happens when institutions are strengthened, governance models are refined and systems are built to last.

Infrastructure can be constructed in years but institutions endure for generations. That's why my focus with clients is not only on assets delivered but also on capabilities embedded - ensuring the systems behind those assets are resilient enough to support ambition well beyond Vision 2030.

The defining shift

Looking back over the past decade, the Kingdom's defining achievement is not a single metro line, airport or giga project - though these are remarkable in scale and speed. The real shift has been philosophical. Urban development has moved from being reactive to growth to becoming a proactive tool for competitiveness, quality of life and global positioning.

That mindset shift - treating urbanism as a strategic lever rather than a byproduct - is perhaps the most valuable infrastructure Saudi Arabia has built.

Opportunities and challenges at scale

As we accelerate toward Vision 2030, the opportunity before us is unique: to leapfrog legacy models. Most global cities retrofit sustainability, mobility and cultural identity into systems already in place. Saudi Arabia can embed them from the ground up.

The challenge lies in scale. Delivering sustainable, resilient and livable cities across multiple regions requires not just engineering brilliance but also governance coherence, institutional maturity and disciplined sequencing of investment. If those align, the Kingdom has the chance to redefine what 21st-century urbanism looks like.

A collaborative approach, many voices

What makes this work possible is collaboration. At Jacobs, we connect ideas and expertise across markets, drawing on lessons from around the world. Insights from transit-oriented development in London or Los Angeles can be applied to Riyadh's density strategy, while Saudi Arabia's giga projects are now informing how our teams think about scale elsewhere.

This exchange is not just knowledge sharing - it is value creation. Collaboration ensures global expertise is always adapted with local relevance.

Lessons for the world

Saudi Arabia still has much to learn from global delivery experience, particularly around sequencing and embedding community engagement early. But equally, the world is learning from Saudi Arabia. Few nations today are taking such bold bets on reimagining entire cities, economies and lifestyles.

The lesson is that ambition itself is a capability. Transformation at scale is not just about capital or technology; it is about the courage to think generationally and challenge legacy systems.

The programs that inspire

Among the Kingdom's giga programs, the ones that excite me most are those that blend heritage with innovation. Diriyah's cultural renaissance, Riyadh's regeneration and NEOM's futuristic vision show that Saudi Arabia's transformation is not just about infrastructure - it is about identity.

These programs are statements to the world that the Kingdom is not only building faster or bigger - it is shaping a new narrative of resilience, culture and innovation for the century ahead.