JUBAIL — The population of Jubail Industrial City could double by 2030. General Manager for Technical Affairs at the Royal Commission (RC) for Jubail Ahmed Al-Balawi said, “We expect to accommodate another 150,000 people and the population to be about 300,000 people by that date.” He added that Jubail Industrial City's master plan calls for growth in the residential zone, the completion of the Jubail Two industrial zone and the expansion of Jubail's two ports. Developments in Jubail will also include the construction of the railway link from Ras Al-Khair to Dammam, which will pass through Jubail, and a 100-km railway network within the city. Al-Balawi said, "The Royal Commission was interested in promoting the development of the existing Jubail airport, which is currently used by the military." He said it was hoped that private aviation services could be established. Plans also include the creation of the 275-hectare Jubail City Center with residential, leisure and commercial zones. “We have finished the designs and we have started to develop the infrastructure for the city center,” Al-Balawi said. The city center is expected to have 32,400 residents in addition to a workforce of about 32,000. The Royal Commission is currently planning to award contracts for infrastructure projects in Jubail worth a total of SR12 billion, Al-Balawi added.
