Jeddah Central Development Company Signs Opera House Landmark Contract with design firms Henning Larsen Architects and Buro Happold Consulting Engineers Limited

The Jeddah Central Development Company (JCDC), a Public Investment Fund (PIF) company and developer of the Jeddah Central Project, has signed an agreement for its Opera House landmark design.

The landmark design agreement was signed with Henning Larsen Architects S/A and Buro Happold Consulting Engineers Limited. Henning Larsen Architects S/A is one of the world’s leading architecture firms with over 60 years of experience. It has worked on several large-scale projects in Saudi Arabia, the development on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building and Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District amongst others. Working alongside them is Buro Happold, an integrated global engineering consultancy house with over 40 years of experience. The announcement reflects JCDC’s commitment to strengthen partnerships with leading designers to create a global destination in the heart of Jeddah and contribute to the overall enhancement of Jeddah economy.

From a design perspective, the Opera House landmark will draw its architectural inspiration from the heritage of Jeddah with a contemporary reflection of its identity. The landmark will serve as a creative platform that inspires the residents and visitors of the city of Jeddah, through its distinctive architecture, artist support services, public spaces, restaurants, and rooftop plazas, thus decorating the waterfront and providing a wonderful addition to the Jeddah skyline.

“This contract represents a major milestone in our overarching plan to help provide global entertainment options and a high standard of living for Jeddah’s residents and visitors, with a lifestyle that is both contemporary and true to our traditional culture,” said Eng. Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Sulaim, CEO of JCDC. He further highlighted the importance of such partnerships in achieving a key PIF and Saudi Vision 2030 objective through diversifying and enriching the tourism and entertainment industries to help build a thriving economy and more vibrant society.

Paul O’Brien, Chief Development Officer at JCDC, said that the construction of the new landmark will help attract both local and global quality investments for the development and operation of the JCDC’s unique facilities. It will pave the way for investors to participate in the creation of new promising economic sectors in one of Saudi Arabia’s most attractive areas.