Sharqia selects consortium to support development of spatial planning framework
The government of Sharqia has selected a consortium of consultancies and professional services firms to support the development of its spatial planning framework.
Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, also known as Sharqia, encompasses 13 governorates, including Dammam (the region’s capital), Al-Ahsa, Hafar Al-Batin, Al-Khobar, Ras Tanura, Qaryat Al-Ulya, and Al-Udayd.
The Sharqia Regional, Metropolitan, and Local Plans program is a comprehensive spatial and urban development initiative covering all 13 governorates. The goal is to create a coordinated, long-term framework for the development of the Eastern Province by aligning regional, metropolitan, and local planning.
The initiative seeks to guide urban growth and land use, coordinate government policies and investments, prioritize strategic infrastructure and economic development projects, integrate environmental considerations, and strengthen collaboration among public-sector and other stakeholders.
The Sharqia Regional, Metropolitan, and Local Plans project is led by the Sharqia Development Authority (SDA) and the Development Authorities Support Center (DASC), and delivered with support from setec (a French engineering group), Beyond Group (a Lebanese management consulting firm), L’Institut Paris Region (a French think tank), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (an architecture and planning firm), and Pegasys Consulting (a South African consulting firm).
The consortium partners were selected following a competitive tender process.
The plan
The 15-month initiative, which kicked off in September 2024 and runs through the end of 2025, is structured around six phases: inception, current-state assessment, visioning and scenarios, plan development, governance, and project completion.
In the coming months, the joint project team will work on the strategic and planning phases of the program, with deliverables including a regional-level strategy spanning all 13 governorates to balance economic, cultural, and social growth; a metropolitan plan targeting the Dammam Metropolitan Area and core urban centers; local municipal master plans; and a multi-stakeholder governance framework for public institutions and private-sector investors.
