From airbase to park: the story so far

On 19 March 2019, a royal order announced four big projects for Riyadh, and one of them was a park to be built on the old airport. That was the start of what we now call King Salman Park. Seven years on, as of 12 November 2026, it is a very large construction site that is preparing to open in stages but has not opened anything yet.

This is the story so far, with the dates we can support.

2019: four projects and a competition

The Foundation's account of the launch lists four projects: King Salman Park, Sports Boulevard, Green Riyadh and Riyadh Art, valued together at SAR 86 billion, or about $23 billion. That is the origin of a figure often wrongly quoted for the park alone. The park falls under the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, which created the Foundation to deliver it.

In March 2019 an international competition picked Omrania as lead design consultant, reported by Argaam, with Henning Larsen sharing the master planning. Several other firms say they took part, so the stages are not completely clear. Bofill Taller de Arquitectura was commissioned the same year for the Royal Arts Complex.

2021 to 2023: ground breaks

The first big construction award came in September 2021, when Arab News reported contracts worth about SAR 3.85 billion ($1 billion) for site preparation, tunnels and bridges, and power. The old air base was demolished in 2021 and 2022. In January 2022 the Foundation announced the start of work on the Visitor Pavilion, in May 2022 on the Royal Arts Complex, and in December 2022 George Tanasijevich was appointed CEO.

In June 2023 contracts for landscaping and district cooling worth about $2.5 billion in total were reported, including Nesma & Partners and Al-Rashid for landscaping. In September 2023 the park launched its first real-estate fund, SAR 4 billion for District One.

2024 and 2025: infrastructure and the first partners

March 2024 brought the water package, with Al Bawani and Wetico selected. In May 2024 MEED said construction was on track. In July 2024 the Al-Orouba tunnel's eastern route opened and Hartwig Fischer was named founding director of the Museum of World Cultures. In December 2024 Accor and Naif Alrajhi Investment announced a first TRIBE hotel and TRIBE Living in the park.

April 2025 brought Douglas Gautier as CEO of the Royal Arts Complex and the Parsons project management office appointment, a 25-month contract, which ends around May 2027 by our arithmetic. In July 2025 Haif was reported to have won Phase 2 infrastructure worth about $480 million, and works began in November. Also in November 2025 Ajdan and SEDCO Capital launched a $1 billion mixed-use fund.

2026: the year of the opening plan

February 2026 brought an ArchDaily piece expecting initial phases in late 2026 and substantial completion in 2027. In March, at MIPIM, Package 4 (Retal) and Package 5 (Kolaghassi) were announced, together with new commitments of more than $3.8 billion. In May the Foundation said its retaining walls were complete, and in June Saudi outlets reported a silver award for sustainable development.

The leadership changed. EnterpriseAM reported on 30 July that Tanasijevich was leaving. On 16 September the Foundation opened an interim headquarters in the park, and about 230 to 240 staff moved from KAFD. On 28 September acting CEO Dale Chadwick told a MEED conference that 95 percent of Phase 1 and 2 contracts had been awarded, irrigation was installed for both phases, and a phased soft opening was being prepared. On 11 October the Saudi Press Agency announced Chadwick as CEO. And on 12 October the Royal Commission's CEO told the 37th Government Press Conference that large parts of Phase 1 infrastructure were complete.

The shape of the phases

Phase 1 and Phase 2 are the park's core. Phase 3 is being replanned: MEED reported in September 2026 that the originally planned golf course will be replaced to allow commercialisation, and that a fresh master plan would begin in the following couple of months. No replacement uses have been stated.

What is next

The Foundation said its opening plan would go to its board in early October, with announcements expected in the following months. The Royal Arts Complex is due to be handed to the Ministry of Culture between about December 2026 and March 2027. The Parsons contract runs to around May 2027. Gerber has pointed to full completion around 2030, and planting continues, with about four million plants due this year.

What is still being confirmed

Several things are still open as of 12 November 2026:

• The opening date, and which area opens first.
• Handover dates for any homes, and the hotel operators for most packages.
• How many private packages exist, because March coverage and September coverage count them differently.
• Whether the Museum of World Cultures can open in 2026, which we think unlikely.
• What replaces the golf course in Phase 3.

Seven years is a long time for a park, and also not very long for a city within one. We will keep this story updated as the Foundation confirms each piece.