Jubail, Saudi Arabia: KSA's first "Giga Project," built by Bechtel, shows power of collaboration

Much of the talk inside and outside of Saudi Arabia is about the Kingdom’s "giga-projects." Can they be done? Will their impact match or exceed the investment?

Through one of the greatest collaborations in Saudi Arabian history between U.S.-based Bechtel, with a long track record of success in Saudi projects, and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, the city of Jubail is a story of achievement - and possible blueprint - for ambitious projects in Saudi Arabia today. From a greenfield desert and remains of an old fishing village to the world’s largest industrial city, accounting for an astonishing 7% of Saudi Arabia’s GDP, Jubail's success demonstrates how collaboration and vision can achieve the once-thought impossible.

Almost 50 years after the success, Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia is hosting the Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities 2024. Representatives of UNESCO learning cities from around the world are descending on Jubail to attend the event and discuss strategies for promoting climate action through lifelong learning.