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ISBN: 978-603-8279-26-7 condition that the source is indicated.

1-Tabuk (Saudi Arabia) - History 2- City planning- Saudi Arabia ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I-Title
City Profiles Series Editors:
309.2625314 dc 1440/8318
Herman Pienaar
Salvatore Fundarò
L.D. no. 1440/8318
Costanza La Mantia
ISBN: 978-603-8279-26-7
Contributing Authors:
© 2019. Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and United
Hatem Saleh Alkhathlan (urban planning & design)
Nations Human Settlements Programme
Maysoram Prashad (urban planning & design)
All rights reserved.
Costanza La Mantia (content editor)
Rama Nimri (regional planning)
Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs
Anne Klen-Amin (legal & governance)
P.O. Box : 935 - King Fahd, Riyadh, 11136
Samuel Njuguna (legal & governance)
Tel: 00966114569999
Giuseppe Tesoriere (economy & finance)
www.momra.gov.sa
Elizabeth Glass (economy & finance)
Abdulkarim Alhowaish (economy & finance)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Antara Tandon (GIS)
(UN-Habitat)
Rayan Alrefaei (GIS)
P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi GPO KENYA
Solomon Karani (GIS)
Tel: 254-020-7623120 (Central Office)
www.unhabitat.org
Layout Design:
Hai Anh Nguyen

Cover Page:
UN-Habitat

The Future Saudi Cities Programme is a jointly implemented

project managed by the Deputyship of Town Planning of the
Ministry of Municipality and Rural Affairs of the Government
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations
Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

For UN-Habitat:
Mr. Robert Lewis-Lettington
Mr. Ayman El-Hefnawi
Ms. Manka Bajaj
TABUK
‫تــبــوك‬

FUTURE SAUDI CITIES PROGRAMME

CITY PROFILE
View of the Wadi Al Disah
© Alaa Othman
 C ONTENTS

1Contents
1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 9

1.1 About the Future Saudi Cities Programme ...................................................................................................................10

1.2 Saudi Initiatives for Sustainable Urban Development.....................................................................................................10

1.3 Objectives of the City Profile Report..............................................................................................................................10

1.3.1 Scope of the city profile..............................................................................................................................................10

1.3.2 Objectives of the city profile........................................................................................................................................10

1.4 City Profile Methodology..............................................................................................................................................12

1.4.1 Evidence-based input approach...................................................................................................................................12

1.4.2 The reviews.................................................................................................................................................................13

1.4.3 The City Prosperity Index assessment report.................................................................................................................13

1.4.4 The GIS spatial analysis................................................................................................................................................13

2 NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SPATIAL CONTEXT............................................................... 15

2.1 The Region’s Role in the KSA........................................................................................................................................16

2.1.1 Historical background ................................................................................................................................................16

2.1.2 Geography and location..............................................................................................................................................16

2.1.3 Demographic background...........................................................................................................................................16

2.1.4 Socio-economic background.......................................................................................................................................18

2.1.5 National connectivity...................................................................................................................................................18

2.2 Regional Development Patterns and Dynamics..............................................................................................................18

2.2.1 Regional organisation.................................................................................................................................................18

2.2.2 Regional structure and resources ................................................................................................................................20

2.3 City-region Structure and Dynamics..............................................................................................................................24

2.3.1 City-region connectivity...............................................................................................................................................24

2.3.2 City-region economy...................................................................................................................................................26

2.3.3 Climate and topography..............................................................................................................................................26

4
 C ONTENTS

3 GOVERNANCE AND FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK.............................................................. 29

3.1 Legal and Institutional Framework................................................................................................................................30

3.2 Planning Instruments and Procedures...........................................................................................................................31

3.2.1 Hierarchy of plans.......................................................................................................................................................31

3.2.2 The Tabuk Regional Plan.............................................................................................................................................31

3.2.3 The Tabuk Plan...........................................................................................................................................................34

3.2.4 Tabuk Urban Growth and Development Protection Boundaries...................................................................................36

3.2.5 Land Subdivision Plans................................................................................................................................................40

3.3 The Institutional Context..............................................................................................................................................40

3.3.1 Urban institutions in KSA............................................................................................................................................40

3.3.2 Regional context: Tabuk Region..................................................................................................................................40

3.3.3 Local context: Tabuk...................................................................................................................................................41

3.3.4 Legal and institutional implications for Tabuk.............................................................................................................42

3.4 Financial Context..........................................................................................................................................................42

3.4.1 Financial system .........................................................................................................................................................42

3.4.2 Municipal revenue.......................................................................................................................................................42

3.4.3 Financing municipal operating cost.............................................................................................................................42

3.4.4 Capital financing for municipal development...............................................................................................................43

3.4.5 Financial sustainability.................................................................................................................................................45

4 THE CURRENT CITY............................................................................................................ 49

4.1 Urbanisation Patterns...................................................................................................................................................50

4.1.1 The city’s development patterns..................................................................................................................................50

4.1.2 Administrative boundaries...........................................................................................................................................54

4.1.3 Urban density..............................................................................................................................................................55

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 C ONTENTS

4.2 Structuring Elements....................................................................................................................................................56

4.2.1 Natural and topographic elements..............................................................................................................................56

4.2.2 Major movement infrastructure...................................................................................................................................57

4.2.3 Existing and proposed land use patterns......................................................................................................................58

4.2.4 Vacant land.................................................................................................................................................................60

4.2.5 Accessibility to urban cores and facilities.....................................................................................................................60

4.3 Assessment of Future Plans..........................................................................................................................................62

4.3.1 Tabuk Local Plan.........................................................................................................................................................62

4.3.2 Public transport accessibility analysis............................................................................................................................64

4.3.3 Density scenario analysis.............................................................................................................................................66

4.4 Environmental and Climate Change Risks Implication....................................................................................................68

4.4.1 Loss of freshwater and aquifer pollution......................................................................................................................68

4.4.2 Loss of agricultural land and inconsistent green network.............................................................................................69

5 STRATEGIC DIAGNOSIS..................................................................................................... 71

5.1 Identifying and Defining Main Strategic Issues..............................................................................................................72

5.1.1 Unbalanced growth and development patterns...........................................................................................................72

5.1.2 Divisions and lack of cohesion in city structure............................................................................................................72

5.1.3 Socio-ecological and economic imbalance...................................................................................................................73

5.2 Analysing Tabuk’s Three Issues in Depth.......................................................................................................................74

5.2.1 Tabuk’s unbalanced growth and development patterns...............................................................................................74

5.2.2 Divisions and lack of cohesion in Tabuk’s urban structure............................................................................................76

5.2.3 Socio-ecological and economic imbalance in Tabuk ....................................................................................................78

6 THE FUTURE CITY.............................................................................................................. 81

6.1 Strategic Responses......................................................................................................................................................82

6.1.1 The Compact City .......................................................................................................................................................82

6.1.2 The Connected City.....................................................................................................................................................82

6.1.3 The Resilient City.........................................................................................................................................................83

6
 C ONTENTS

6.2 Appropriate Models for Tabuk’s Urban Development...................................................................................................84

6.2.1 The Compact City: Consolidating Tabuk’s development and densifying centres...........................................................84

6.2.2 The Connected City: Linking Tabuk through public transport.......................................................................................86

6.2.3 The Resilient City: Rebalancing Tabuk’s socio-ecological and economic systems...........................................................88

6.3 Vision for a Sustainable Tabuk......................................................................................................................................90

6.4 Strategic Impact of the Vision on Urban Patterns..........................................................................................................92

7 ACTION PLAN.................................................................................................................. 105

7.1 From Strategy to Action.............................................................................................................................................106

7.1.1 Action 1: Create a public transport backbone to support densification......................................................................108

7.1.2 Action 2: Promote strategic densification around main nodes and along the transportation network.........................110

7.1.3 Action 3: Create a diffused and well-integrated blue and green networks.................................................................112

7.2 Three Systemic Actions for Structural Change.............................................................................................................114

8 FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS: THE THREE-PRONGED APPROACH................................ 117

8.1 Spatial Recommendations..........................................................................................................................................118

8.1.1 A strategic view of the Tabuk Region spatial development........................................................................................118

8.1.2 Towards Tabuk, a Gateway Eco-city .........................................................................................................................118

8.2 Institutional and Legal Recommendations...................................................................................................................120

8.3 Financial Recommendations.......................................................................................................................................121

8.3.1 Own-source revenue instruments .............................................................................................................................121

8.3.2 Leveraging urban productivity ..................................................................................................................................123

9 ANNEX............................................................................................................................. 127

9.1 Picture Credits............................................................................................................................................................128

9.2 List of Figures.............................................................................................................................................................129

9.3 Notes and References.................................................................................................................................................131

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8
 1 INTRODUCTION

© FSCP
 IN TR ODUCTION

1.1 About the Future Saudi Cities Programme

The Future Saudi Cities Programme is a joint programme As such, all 17 cities have been simultaneously engaged in a
developed by the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs capacity-building strategy that included foundational learning,
(MoMRA) and UN-Habitat, implemented in close cooperation and ‘on the job’ training, culminating in Saudi-specific
with the municipalities of 17 major Saudi cities. The cities advanced training. This training was based on the planning-
have been selected based on their different population sizes, system conclusions and recommendations, that the FSCP
geographic distribution, and a range of criteria based on produced. Thus, the Urban Lab functions as a tool to generate
capacities and economic potential to create a more balanced evidence whilst additionally strengthening capacities through
regional development among the cities of Saudi Arabia. The a process of learning-by-doing.
chosen cities include Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Taif, Madinah,
Tabuk, Dammam, Qatif, Al-Ahsa, Abha, Najran, Jazan, Hael, 1.2 Saudi Initiatives for Sustainable Urban
Arar, Al Baha, Buraidah, and Skaka.
Development
After undertaking city-level reviews in the 17 cities, five
The Saudi Government, along with the respective Ministries,
cities were chosen as a representative cross-section, for in-
and in line with a larger country-wide transformation process,
depth analysis. The city-level reviews considered the linkages
has made several efforts aimed at the sustainable development
between urban and territorial planning by examining the city
of its growing cities. These contributions vary from plans at
within the relational context of its sub-region and exploring
the national level, like the National Spatial Strategy (NSS), to
specific issues at the neighbourhood level. These reviews,
strategies and plans at the regional level, cutting across various
when referenced with City Prosperity Index reports and
sectors towards realising Vision 2030. The FSCP recognises
validation processes in the Rapid Planning Studio workshops,
these efforts as positive, supporting Vision 2030 goals to
were used to extrapolate strong, evidence-based conclusions
realise a sustainable urban environment for the Kingdom of
that relate to the planning system as a whole.
Saudi Arabia. The FSCP acknowledges and builds upon the
current tools, plans, and strategies as part of a comprehensive
Applied research, with a strong focus on action-oriented
assessment and suggests variations and improvements where
conclusions, was used to collect evidence to diagnose the
appropriate.
strengths and weaknesses of the planning system and local
planning practices in each city. The methodology utilised
design tests and demonstration projects as avenues to apply 1.3 Objectives of the City Profile Report
and analyse potential solutions, before concluding on policy
recommendations. 1.3.1 Scope of the city profile

The city-profile combines MoMRA’s new strategy, with a

UN-Habitat’s three-pronged approach considers spatial
review of existing studies, plans, and strategic documents,
planning in relation to legal and institutional frameworks, in
such as the review of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
addition to financial mechanisms. In this way, success criteria
National Spatial Strategy (NSS) to identify and address the root
for the sustainable implementation of a spatial plan should
causes of problematic conditions outlined in the preliminary
include flexible but enforceable rules and regulations, in
findings. The report acknowledged low uptake of the NSS by
addition to a financing strategy and projections.
regions, utilities and ministries, as a key weakness. The issue
of horizontal (sectors) and vertical (scales) integration is thus
As a pragmatic explication of this approach, three local
a key challenge that the FSCP aims to address going forward.
demonstration projects, representing essential elements of
a strengthened and improved planning system, have been
Policy recommendations for improving urban planning
developed. These were elaborated to include schematic
frameworks and practice shall be structured through a multi-
designs and feasibility studies, that can later be transformed
scalar lens, considering the city as a continuum in the urban
into implementation plans. Such implementation plans are
fabric, that should grow from the neighbourhood to the wider
projected to be undertaken by MoMRA, in collaboration with
city-region, whilst influenced by dynamics and regulations at
other partners in the Kingdom.
the national and supranational levels. This ensures that policy
recommendations for these cities do not operate in isolation
In order to facilitate this process, a joint “FSCP Urban Lab”
from the city’s envisioned role in the administrative region and
was created as a vehicle to strengthen endogenous capacities
the national system of cities.
and to develop tailored tools, and instruments. The Lab,
composed of international expertise from the planning, legal
and economy branches of UN-Habitat Nairobi office, has been 1.3.2 Objectives of the city profile
working with Saudi-based staff in the UN-Habitat Riyadh
office (selected by MoMRA), to enhance knowledge exchange The City Profile Report brings together diagnostic urban
and to apply a learning-by-doing method to the programme. analysis and aligns that analysis with the UN-Habitat
sustainable development framework and the Saudi Vision

10
 © FSCP

Topographic diversity in Tabuk region

11
 IN TR ODUCTION

2030. It performs as a thinking tool that constitutes together for sustainable urban development. Not only does this provide
an assessment tool and guidance for the current and future a clear perspective on the main developmental issues, but it
planning of the city, whilst defining a clear strategy for also quantifies the projected effect of future development
sustainable development. proposals on the indicators applied in the analysis.

The definition of an ad-hoc strategy is rooted in an evidence- The programme recognises that the methodology, on
based approach to the issues, building upon both primary and which policy recommendations guiding improvements and
secondary data collection and analysis. The profile, as well as adjustments in the planning system are based, needs to be
the Programme as a whole, uses the data collected by the evidence-based. For this purpose, different methods were
City Prosperity Initiative (CPI), to identify significant trends and integrated to first provide the necessary body of evidence on
challenges at the city level. This evidence is then combined which to build an understanding, and full assessment of issues
with reviews of existing planning documents, and cross- before making recommendations for the respective cities.
referenced with multi-scalar GIS spatial analysis, to define the
above-mentioned ad-hoc strategy. The elements constituting the evidence-based approach are
primarily constituted of the following:
1.4 City Profile Methodology
• Reviews of existing policy documents and plans;
1.4.1 Evidence-based input approach • CPI index;
• GIS spatial analysis.
The evidence-based planning approach creates a deeper
understanding of the spatial dynamics of the urban area, All of these elements are utilised in a cross-scalar diagnostic
by combining and comparing urban datasets such as methodology that incorporates quantitative and qualitative
demographics, density, land use, natural features, and evidence. The method used to generate evidence-based policy
accessibility analysis. recommendations, which develops capacities and engages
stakeholders in all 17 cities, provides conclusions derived from
The evidence (data) is reflected in the form of indicators that both top-down and bottom-up approaches, cross-cutting all
can be compared with best practice standards and benchmarks scales of planning.

© FSCP

Validation process with local authorities and stakeholders

12
 I N T R O DUCTI O N

By analysing how the structures of spatial, socio-environmental

and economic issues interact at different scales of influence,
the diagnostic methodology moves from the national to the N
National
neighbourhood scale, tracking the interdependencies within
the city’s physical development patterns, and seeking to
Scale
decrypt the reasons behind them.

1.4.2 The reviews

Several reviews of existing policy documents and plans were

undertaken with the purpose of a) extracting information
useful to the understanding of the context, and the city itself,
and b) assessing their contents based on three criteria: content Tabuk
relevance, process integration, and effectiveness. The reviews
Region
focused on assessing the:

• National Spatial Strategy;

• Tabuk Regional Plan;
• Tabuk Structural Plan;
• Tabuk Local Plan.

1.4.3 The City Prosperity Index assessment

report Tabuk
City-region
The City Prosperity Index is made up of six dimensions that serve
to define targets and goals that can support the formulation
of evidence-based policies. These include the definition of
city-visions and long-term plans that are both ambitious and
measurable. The six dimensions are:

• Productivity;
• Infrastructure; Tabuk
• Quality of life; Metropolitan Area
• Equity and inclusion;
• Environmental sustainability;
• Governance and legislation.

These dimensions have been assumed as guiding principles in

the spatial assessment of Tabuk. There are ten detailed spatial
indicators at the FSCP city profile level that link into the 72 flexible
indicators of the CPI assessment.
Tabuk
1.4.4 The GIS spatial analysis City
The spatial reflection of the above indicators highlights detailed
patterns of development and the interactions and dynamics
associated with movement, densities, and land use within the
urban system. This process enables a dynamic understanding
of the physical expressions of weaknesses and strengths in the
urban system and the main issues to be addressed. The effect
of proposals for future development can also be assessed by
use of the same indicators. Tabuk
Neighbourhoods

CROSS SCALAR DIAGNOSTIC METHODOLOGY

13
14
 2 NATIONAL AND REGIONAL
SPATIAL CONTEXT
2

© Saudi Press agency

 N N ATIONAL AND REGIONAL S PAT IAL CONT E XT

2.1 The Region’s Role in the KSA

2.1.1 Historical background

Historically, the Tabuk Region falls within the Hejaz Region, of the most important elements of economic development
specifically in the state of The Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz, due to its long maritime front on the Red Sea. In addition,
which is ruled by the Hashemite Dynasty. It achieved national being a border area allows a large proportion of trade access
independence after the destruction of the Ottoman Empire by to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey; as well as the
the British Empire, during World War I. The new kingdom had movement of passengers and pilgrims from those countries
a brief life and was conquered in 1925 by the neighbouring and other countries in North Africa. The area of the Tabuk
Sultanate of Nejd, under a resurgent House of Saud, creating Region is 139,000 square kilometres or about 6.2% of the
the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd. In 1932, the Kingdom of total area of the Kingdom. The Tabuk Region stretches from
Hejaz and Nejd joined the Saudi dominions of Al-Ahsa and North to South covering over 580 kilometres and extends over
Qatif, as the unified Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 480 kilometres from East to West.

The history of the Tabuk Region dates back 5,000 years ago. 2.1.3 Demographic background
The region hosts the land of Madyan, a historical population
that is mentioned extensively in the Holy Quran. Crossing According to the estimations of the Central Department of
the entire region is the Hejaz Railway, which during the Arab Statistics and Information, the total population of the region
Revolt between 1916 to 1918, was under constant attack. was projected at 887,000 people, representing about 2.88%
of the total population of the Kingdom, in 2014. The Sau-
2.1.2 Geography and location di population in the region is estimated to be 732,000 and
155,000 are made up of non-Saudis. The Tabuk Governorate
The Tabuk Region sits in the extreme Northwest of Saudi has 72% of the total population of the region, followed by
Arabia, with Jordan bordering it to the North and to the West Amlaj with 7.7%, Diba with 6.6%, Wajeh with 5.6%, Taima
of it is the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. Surrounding it are with 4.6%, and finally Haql Governorate with 3.5% of the
three other administrative regions; Al Jouf, Hael, and Madinah. total population. In 2004, the urbanisation rate for the region
Evidently, the region’s strategic location is considered to be one was 85%, (this rate differs from one governorate to another)

Percentage of the region

compare to the total KSA
population in 2014

2.88%

79.12%

Population Rest of KSA

Population Tabuk Region

Population (2010)
Area (km2)
Rate of Growth rate / year
Urbanisation

Fig. 1. Population distribution, growth rate and urban areas within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

16
 N AT I O N A L A N D R E G I O N A L S PAT I A L CO NTEXT N

Economic sector
contribution to GDP in
Tabuk Region (2012)

3.7% 1.8%

18.5%
32.7%

4.1%

9.7%
0.8%
6.6% 10.4%
11.7%

Agriculture
Industry
Electricity, gas and water
Construction / building
Trade
Transport and storage
Financial and real estate
Social services
Government services
Mining

Regional GDP (2012)

GDP growth rate / year
Region GDP to KSA
Fig. 2. Regional Gross Domestic Product and economic sector contribution

Dammam: King Fahd

International Airport
(Passengers 9,567,000);

Jeddah: King Abdulaziz

International Airport
(Passengers 30,000,000);

Riyadh: King Khalid

International Airport
(Passengers 22,300,000);

Madinah: Prince
Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz
International Airport
(Passengers 6,500,000);

Buraidah: Prince Nayef

Bin Abdulaziz International Airport
(Capacity 550,000).

Dammam-Abqaiq-Riyadh
Al Qassim-Majma’a-Riyadh
Makkah-Jeddah-Madinah

Arabian Gulf Ports:

King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam
King Fahd Industrial Port, Jubail
Jubail Commercial Port
Ras Al Khair Port
Ras Tanura Port

Red Sea Ports:

Jeddah Islamic Port
King Fahd Industrial Port
Yanbu Commercial Port

Fig. 3. Transport connectivity between Saudi cities

17
 N N ATIONAL AND REGIONAL S PAT IAL CONT E XT

and the highest rate was in Tabuk Governorate with 92.7%, of this port is still limited to the total shipping movement
and the lowest in Diba Governorate with only 47.2% of the of the Kingdom, where quantities of goods handled by the
population living in urban areas. port represent 0.9% of the total goods handled by all of
the Kingdom’s ports. Diba Port ranks first in the Kingdom
2.1.4 Socio-economic background regarding the movement of passengers (arrivals and
departures), representing about 41.2% of the total movement
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Tabuk Region, in of passengers by maritime transport in the Kingdom. Duba
2012 was 28.4 billion riyals, representing 1.03% of the GDP Port is one of the oldest ports on the Red Sea, the nearest
of the Kingdom, and 1.99% of the GDP of the Kingdom Saudi Arabian port to the Suez Canal.
without crude oil and gas. The region’s average annual growth
rate of GDP wast 23% during the period from 2009 to 2012. The Hejaz Railway was a narrow-gauge railway that ran from
The trade sector ranks first in terms of contribution to the Damascus to Madinah. It was a part of the Ottoman railway
GDP with 17.3%, followed by the construction and building network when it was opened in 1908, with a length of 1320
sector with 15.4%, financial and real estate services sector kilometres. Two connected sections of the Hejaz Railway are in
with 12%, transport and communications sector with 9.8%, service. Before the war in Syria, the railway ran from Amman
agriculture with 6%, and industry with 2.2%. to Damascus and from phosphate mines South of Jordan to
the Gulf of Aqaba. Small non-operating sections of the railway
track, buildings, and rolling stock are still preserved as tourist-
2.1.5 National connectivity
attractions in Saudi Arabia.

There are two regional airports, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz

Airport in the city of Tabuk, and the other is Al-Wajh 2.2 Regional Development Patterns and
Airport. The number of passengers using them was 938,000 Dynamics
passengers, representing 2.44% of the total air traffic of
passengers in the Kingdom. Tabuk Regional Airport has one 2.2.1 Regional organisation
terminal serving both international and domestic destinations
including Cairo, Dubai, Bahrain, Sharjah, in addition to Riyadh, Administrative Boundaries
Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah, Jazan, and Abha. Duba Port is The Tabuk Region and the city of Tabuk are part of the historic
210 kilometres away from the city of Tabuk. The contribution Hejaz Region, located in Western Saudi Arabia. The Hejaz

National Growth Center

Regional Growth Center

Local Growth Center

Amlaj
AlWajh
Duba
Tayma

Haqel
Tabuk

Fig. 4. Administrative boundaries and population distribution in the governorates according to 2010 Census

18
 © Saudi Press agency

Geographical view from Tabuk Region

19
 N ATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONT E XT

is the most populated area of the Kingdom, as 35% of the The central idea is to emphasise the role of Tabuk as a National
Kingdom’s population resides here. The Tabuk Region extends Growth Centre and focus on its development while spreading
over an area of 117,000 square kilometres, or 11.7 million development to other growth centres, especially along the
hectares, corresponding to 5% of the total land area of the coastal corridor. Additionally, it will distribute and spread
Kingdom. The region’s population is approximately 910,030 development in a balanced manner to the Regional and
inhabitants or 2.7% of the Kingdom’s population. The region Local Growth Centres, and rural communities. Emphasising
is administratively divided into the Principality of Tabuk, its the linkage between the Tabuk Region and the neighbouring
capital, and five governorates, namely: Al-Wajh, Diba, Taimaa, areas through the corridor of Duba/Tabuk/Skaka/Arar and
Amlaj, and Haql. Similar to the other 12 regions of KSA, Tabuk the internal corridor of Tabuk/Tayma/Madinah, in addition
is governed by a “municipality” (Arabic: Amanah) and is to the corridor of Wajh/Ula/Hael, and the coastal corridor of
headed by a mayor (Arabic: Amin). Madinah/Yanbu/Tabuk, will draw focus to economic activities
along these axes.
The Regional Plan for the Tabuk Region
The city of Tabuk plays a very key role in the Kingdom as it’s 2.2.2 Regional structure and resources
a focal for many of the new mega projects scaled for the
Kingdoms’ Vision 2030; the Neom City and the Red Sea Movement Infrastructure
Project among other expansion projects. The regional plan of The total length of paved roads, affiliated to the municipalities
Tabuk and the NSS have placed a lot of importance on the in the region, is approximately 3,068 linear kilometres. This
hierarchical development of most of the centres in the region accounts for 3.4% of the total roads of the Ministry of
as a way to balance the foreseen growth. Municipal and Rural Affairs in the Kingdom. The length of
expressways, two-way and one-way roads in the region,
The Regional Plan of Tabuk Region for the year 1450H proposes under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport, amounts
a unique set of functions for the different governorates that to 886 kilometres, representing 5.6% of the total roads of
draws on the existing strengths and potentials for each the Ministry of Transport. The total length of agricultural and
governorate, with Tabuk City as a National Services Centre, earth roads in the region was 10,133 kilometres at the end of
while the cities along the coastline shall capitalise on tourism, 2012. According to our regional drivability analysis to main
fishing activities, and mining. urban centres, 83.4% of the region’s population lives within a
15-minute drive of a major urban centre.

National growth center

Regional growth center

Local growth center

Rural centers / villages

Tourism

Services

Fishing activities

Agriculture

Agricultural processing

Education

Grazing

Mining activities

Sea tourism

Financial services

Real estate

Industrial activities

Fig. 5. Development sectors according to the Regional Plan for the Tabuk Region

20
 N AT I O N A L A N D R E G I O N A L CO NTEXT

Development corridor

National growth centre

Regional growth centre

Local growth centre

Fig. 6. Development corridors according to the Regional Plan for the Tabuk Region

Fig. 7. Regional land use

21
 N ATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONT E XT

Land use in Tabuk, and below is a brief introduction to those projects,

Land use plans were proposed based on the Regional their envisioned purpose, and scale.
Development Plan selected until the target year 1450H, which
was the basis on which detailed studies of the Regional Sectoral The Red Sea Project
Plans for services, infrastructure, and the economic base of The Red Sea project will be a luxury resort destination for
the Tabuk Region were developed. The general framework of nature and culture established across a series of islands in a
land use for the Regional Plan for the Tabuk Region in 1450H lagoon. It will set new standards for sustainable development
noted that agricultural areas would increase to 156% of the and bring about the next-generation of luxury travel to put
current area of ​​agricultural areas. For urban agglomerations, Saudi Arabia on the international tourism map.
it will increase to 90% of the current status. For industrial
zones, there are two industrial cities in Duba and Tabuk as The Red Sea project is located along the Northwestern coast of
well as the industrial areas in each of the cities of Tabuk, Wajh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between the cities of Amlaj and
Dabaa, Tayma, and Amlaj. As for the tourist areas, it is spread Al Wajh. It is being developed on one of the most pristine sites
in Tabuk and the five governorates of the region. The plan was in the world. Along with residents of Saudi Arabia and the
supported by a regional road network and a head to serve the GCC countries, the Red Sea project will provide an opportunity
main development axes, linking the National Growth Centre for the whole world to experience and enjoy an eco-friendly
with Regional Growth Centres and Local Growth Centres destination scattered across a breath-taking archipelago that is
while supporting sub-development hubs to link Regional and home to exquisite beaches and 200 kilometres of untouched
Local Growth Centres with Rural Growth Centres. coastline. The initial ground-breaking of the Red Sea project is
expected in the third quarter of 2019. Completion of phase one
Mega-projects of the project is anticipated by the last quarter of 2022, which
The presence of a mega-project at a national scale would will include the development of hotels and luxury residential
bring considerable transformation in different scales to the units, as well as all logistical infrastructure, including air, land,
urban environment and the life of citizens in surrounding and sea transport hubs.
urban settlements. This would mostly be economical, for
example, on the price of land and housing, but also on the Neom City
social aspect, especially due to tensions with local populations Neom is a planned 26,500 square kilometres transnational
and social conflicts, and infrastructure suitability. Two of the city and economic zone, to be constructed close to the border
biggest mega-projects in the Kingdom and the Middle East sit region of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, (via a proposed bridge across

Mega Project
King Salman Bridge-Proposed

Fig. 8. Mega-projects near Tabuk

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 N AT I O N A L A N D R E G I O N A L CO NTEXT

Fig. 9. Neom City as national scale mega-project

Drive Time Popula on % of Total

15 Min 581,503 83.4%
30 Min 601,122 86.6%
60 Min 624,159 89.9%
120 Min 693,699 99.9%
Inaccessable 605 0.1%

Fig. 10. Access and connectivity in Tabuk Region

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 N ATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONT E XT

the Straits of Tiran via Tiran Island, that will be called the King that is wholly reliant on the national services present in Tabuk
Salman Bin Abdulaziz Bridge). Neom’s area extends along the as a national growth center. Amongst these cities, Duba has
Aqaba Gulf and 468 kilometres of coastline with beaches the potential to take on the industrial role, while Haql could
and coral reefs, as well as mountains up to 2,500 metres play an influential role in cross-border economic exchange,
high, which will provide many development opportunities. being a border town. However, this system of cities, currently
The Neom project comes as part of the ambitious plans to configuring Tabuk City-region, will be entirely restructured
transform Saudi Arabia’s economy as part of Vision 2030 once Neom City is up and functional, as the entire dynamic
and to boost foreign direct investment into the country as it of the system will change. It is foreseeable that the small
embarks on a post-oil era. The bridge is expected to cost about towns and the city of Tabuk will see faster growth rates and
4 billion US dollars and will be financed by KSA. The causeway development, influenced by the new transnational city and
would link Tabuk to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on economic centre in Neom, so that the city-region will have the
the Sinai Peninsula and would pass through Tiran Island at opportunity to capitalise on establishing a strong relationship
the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba. The proposed construction with the new city. In their evolution, these cities can become
projects aim to create closer links between Egypt and Saudi interdependent because of the many relational networks that
Arabia and have the potential to create plenty of jobs on they already have, and that interconnect them to a greater
both sides. It will also provide an alternative Hajj route and is extent than other cities located in the wider region.
expected to serve a million passengers and pilgrims annually.
2.3.1 City-region connectivity
Concerns have been raised about possible adverse
environmental effects, and the neighbouring states have Urban transport infrastructure and services are the backbone
raised others concerns regarding security. The extra traffic and for an efficient urban system. Currently, very few public
additional development could cause a further decline of the transport lines operate between Tabuk and the cities along
threatened Red Sea Dugong population and damage to coral the coastal axis and are operated by SAPTCO (Saudi Arabia
reefs and fisheries. Transport Company). With Neom City on the horizon, a much
more comprehensive and efficient urban transport system
2.3 City-region Structure and Dynamics needs to be set in place, to give these cities the chance of
capitalising on this regional development opportunity.
Tabuk, together with the coastal cities of Haql and Duba, and
the agricultural city of Tayma create a simple system of cities

Costal
ay
ilw
Ra
d
se
o
op
Pr

Multi-function
Hij
az
Ra
ilw
ay

Industrial Agriculture

© Saudi Press Agency

Fig. 11. Functional connectivity in the city-region

24
 N AT I O N A L A N D R E G I O N A L CO NTEXT

© Saudi Press Agency

View from unique historical assets in Tabuk Region

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 N ATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONT E XT

2.3.2 City-region economy

Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors • Participation between the public and private sectors;
in Tabuk, where the total crop area in 2012 was 489,00 • Determining the importance of the role of the Supreme
hectares, representing about 6.2% of the total crop area in Commission for Tourism;
the Kingdom. Tabuk is well known for flower plantations as it • Improving the level of performance in the tourism sector,
exports flowers to Europe such as gladiolas, lilies, and statices. and providing the workforce necessary to work in tourism
The Tabuk Region has remarkable floristic diversity; however, activity; and
this natural biodiversity hotspot is affected by several human • Ways to provide the necessary funding and facilitate
activities, such as woodcutting and development.1 Therefore, access to credit for individuals, and provide incentives and
a conservation programme should be launched to protect the advantages that encourage tourism investment.
natural diversity in such important vegetated areas.
2.3.3 Climate and topography
Tourism
The Tabuk Region holds strong potential for a lot of marine The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents 80% of the Arabian
tourism with many beaches and coasts. Given its desert-like Peninsula. Environmentally, the country is mainly formed by
nature, unique locations, and cultural heritage landmarks, it large sandy and rocky deserts with big mountainous systems.
provides a mix of different kinds of tourism for visitors, that It also has many structural features such as 2,410 kilometres of
can provide a strong backbone for introducing the concept of sea coasts, 2.7 million hectares of forest land, over 171 million
slow tourism. The Regional Plan for the Tabuk Region reviewed hectares of rangelands, 35 square kilometres of mangroves, and
the types of tourism possible in the region and found that 1,480 square kilometres of coral reefs. These ecosystems have
they included desert tourism, diving tourism, sailing tourism, an incalculable value; not only do they structure the territory
beach tourism, and cruise tourism, and distributed these but they are also key elements for the national economy and
potential tourism nodes to Tabuk and other governorates welfare of the population. Saudi Arabia has a mid to high rate
according to their potential tourism development. The plan of population growth, one of the few in the world, standing at
concluded with a number of recommendations and identified 2.52% by the year 2017. If not well managed, this growth can
some implementation mechanisms which should be adopted, impact and deteriorate natural systems, affecting biodiversity and
including: ecosystems’ dynamics. In the case of both the Tabuk Region and

Fig. 12. Tourist attractions

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 N AT I O N A L A N D R E G I O N A L CO NTEXT

the city of Tabuk, different drivers of environmental degradation that change in annual mean temperature has gone higher from
have been identified. On the one hand, unsustainable growth 0.024°C between 1978-2003 to 0.072 between 2004-2013. In
patterns and inadequate infrastructure are challenging future addition, heat wave events have risen from 11 between 1978-
economic development and compromising existing natural 1995 to 33 between 1996-2013, as well as sandstorm events
resources. On the other hand, the burden on the environment which slightly increased by 0.05%.
is exacerbated by climate change, which is currently driving the
already severe climate to more extreme conditions. Regarding water sources, mean annual rainfall in Tabuk is very
low at 30mm. However, current trends indicate an increase
Environmental Aspects from -1.03mm between 1978-2003 to 5.85mm between 2004-
Tabuk City lies at the junction of the Hejaz Mountains and the 2013. This means that projected rainfall will rise to 37.1 or 42.0
plains in the North. It is settled at an altitude of 778 metres depending on the model. Equally, air humidity has been increasing
bordered by large mountainous systems to the South as well from 33% between 1978-2013, and it is projected to keep
as large areas of agriculture to the South, East, and North, and increasing up to 38% between 2030-2079. Another important
protected areas and hunting reserves further East. All of these element is the number of torrential rain events in the city, which
elements make Tabuk´s immediate natural surroundings a varied have decreased according to studies from five between 1978-
and characteristic environment. The region, as well as the rest of 1995 to three between 1996-2013.
the country, has a semiarid to hyper-arid climate, characterised
by high temperatures, deficient rainfall, and extremely high In spite of its low rainfall, there is plenty of underground water
evapotranspiration. Tabuk region is also characterised by its in Tabuk coming from Tabuk aquifer, which is one of the main
northerly cooling influences and by having the lowest winter aquifers in the country. The city is also surrounded by hills and
temperature average in the country. Winter temperatures usually wadis, of which Wadi Al-Akhdar (the green valley), Wadi Damm
range between 6°C and 18°C, occasionally dropping below zero and Wadi Asafir are the most important. This has been conducive
at night, and summer temperatures vary from 28°C to 40°C. for agricultural production in the city to be a key economic activity,
Prevailing winds coming from the West also influence these as it currently accounts for approximately 13% of the land use in
temperatures. Recent studies indicate that these temperatures the 1450 Urban Growth Boundary. Agriculture land is not limited
have been increasing due to climate change. It has been monitored to this boundary, but it extends to large areas surrounding the city.

© SaudiArabiaTourismGuide/ Florent Egal

Georgios shipwreck in Tabuk coast

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 3 GOVERNANCE AND
FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK
3

© FSCP
 G OVERNANCE AND F INANCIAL F RAM E W ORK

3.1 Legal and Institutional Framework

The planning legal framework of Tabuk is shaped by the Apart from NSS, these planning instruments are defined by
Kingdom’s legislative environment, which is based on Islamic procedural manuals within MoMRA, rather than by Law, and
Sharia Law. The law-making authority is vested in four entities; thus they lack legitimacy. By their nature, these instruments
the King, the Shura Council, the Council of Ministers and cannot construct a system of legal accountability and
the Ministerial departments. Consequently, there are five transparency of the relevant actors. Moreover, land use and
legislative instruments (Royal Order, Royal Decree, Supreme building control regulations have facilitated urban sprawl
Order, Council of Ministers Resolution, and Ministerial Decree) within Tabuk. For example, the total built-up area for the city
that function in a hierarchical order, underpinning their is 15,360 hectares, which has a population density of 45.2 p/
authority and validity. ha. In addition, within the same area, residential districts are
not only scattered but also have a low-density typology. This
Given this non-centralised law-making process, the city of is evidenced by the fact that 94% of the buildings, within the
Tabuk is guided by over 500 existing urban planning related city, have a maximum height limit of two floors. Therefore, it
instruments with most of these having been promulgated appears that the in-force building regulations have instigated
at the lowest administrative level (Circulars),2 that lack urban sprawl within Tabuk, despite the call from residents,
authoritative legal force. specialists, municipality council, and the private sector to
regularise high-density residential housing within the city.3
Land management Additionally, the land owned by the government and the
2%
3% military, as well as the agricultural land, which exists within
41 %
Public Space the urban core poses a great challenge to Tabuk’s territorial
16 %
planning.
Plots and blocks
In terms of reform, Tabuk would benefit from both fiscal and
Building regulations jurisdictional decentralisation to facilitate independent and
innovative solutions to urban social problems at the Amanah
16% level. This should entail:
Financing

23 % • The transfer of local planning power, authority and

Building & development rights
function from MoMRA to the Amanah with provision
for independent action without recourse to effectively
Fig. 13. Number of urban laws in KSA based on the Main Themes of address community needs. This is supported by the New
Urban Planning Legislation (UN-Habitat) Urban Agenda, which specifies that territorial urban
design and planning processes should be led by sub-
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MoMRA) plays a national and local governments, but their implementation
significant role in Tabuk’s growth and development patterns will require coordination with all spheres of governments
because it is legally entrusted with the task of conducting as well as participation of the civil society, the public
urban planning of the Kingdom’s cities, including the sector and other relevant stakeholders.
permitting of all types of construction activity. Consequently, • Fiscal decentralisation, which gives autonomy to the
the Municipality of the Tabuk Region (Amanah), as the local Amanah to source funds to finance development
level actor for Tabuk, merely acts as an implementing arm for activities. Revenue generation activities in cities may
MoMRA. The institutional budgetary system is also centralised, also include taxes and levies. Urban areas, such as Tabuk
meaning that Tabuk’s development intervention is reliant on should be allowed to collect some form of property taxes
funds allocation from MoMRA through an annual line item to fund development activities. The recent White Lands
budgeting, which is the sole fiscal means available. Act that imposes fees on undeveloped plots in urban
areas to tackle land speculation, housing shortage and
The Kingdom’s planning system, which follows a hierarchy of indiscriminate land development shows that regulatory
spatial level and is predominantly top-down, influences the mechanisms can be leveraged to generate revenue while
spatial system of Tabuk. The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) of fostering an efficient development framework.
2001 is the guiding plan for the Kingdom. Three plans have • Opening of avenues for actors, including the private and
been approved and are operational in Tabuk. These include a) voluntary sector and the general community, to participate
the Regional Plan for Tabuk Region, 2005; b) the Structural in decisions regarding projects that affect them.
Plan, 1996; and c) Local Plan, 2013. The three phases of
the Urban Growth Boundary, (2014, 2019, and 2030) aim Consolidation of the legal planning instruments would also
to prevent urban sprawl in the outskirts of cities without support development intervention in Tabuk and add legitimacy
adequate urban infrastructure. The Land Subdivision Plans are to the plans that Tabuk relies on. Additionally, the city of Tabuk
the basic building blocks that guide Tabuk’s development. could benefit from a functional, effective legal instrument that:

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 G O V E R N A N C E A N D FI N A N C I A L FR A M EWO R K

3.2 Planning Instruments and Procedures

• Manages scattered settlements located on agricultural 3.2.1 Hierarchy of plans
land, preserves this land use and factors these areas in
the urban boundary; The planning system of Tabuk is derived from the de facto
• Safeguards the city’s urban identity, particularly the planning hierarchy of the Kingdom. In this framework, there
surrounding cultural areas; are four different levels of spatial plans: national, regional, local
• Transfers development rights outside the city’s urban and district. Figure 14 highlights the planning instruments in
core, particularly the significant pockets of land of the Eid force in Tabuk.
Mosque and the Ministry of Defense.
3.2.2 The Tabuk Regional Plan
The law-making process could also be revised to limit the
number of actors. The legal framework needs to enshrine an Regional planning represents the second-tier of spatial
acceptable level of public participation in decision making, to planning in the KSA, which aims to address the natural, urban,
foster equality and inclusion. social and economic regional development aspects. The
regional plan for the Tabuk Region was developed by MoMRA
Revising the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Law to include and approved in 2005. This plan covers Tabuk City and the
clear criteria on how it is set would enhance technical and following five cities: Al-Wajh, Duba, Haql, Tayma, and Umlaj.
vertical accountability. The law also needs to place more
emphasis on establishing the Development Protection The Tabuk Region, which is located along the Northwest coast
Boundary as a no-development zone to prevent not only of the Kingdom, enjoys a strategic geographical advantage.
haphazard development but also avert private interests It serves as a centre for trade and economic exchange with
from taking advantage of the laxity in the legal text. These neighbouring countries, thereby enhancing the opportunities
initiatives will strengthen policy formulation designed to make for international trade, free zones, special economic zones, and
the city more sustainable, compact and dense. Primarily, post- attracting global investment into the region. The Tabuk Regional
legislative scrutiny of the UGB Law should be done to assess if Plan enhances axial development which has significantly
it has met its policy objectives. This could, in turn, inform the advanced Tabuk’s status as an economic hub. The plan
legal reform process as well as the planning policy options. considers Tabuk as a centre for national growth and focusses
development within the city while simultaneously spreading

© SaudiArabiaTourismGuide

Natural land features around Tabuk

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Fig. 14. FSCP simplified representation of hierarchy of plans and the planning instruments for the city of Tabuk

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 G OVERNANCE AND F INANCIAL F RAM E W ORK

3.2.3 The Tabuk Plan

development to other growth centres, especially those located The Tabuk Plan4 is a planning tool constituted by a strategic
on the coastal corridor. In addition, the plan seeks to distribute component (the Structural Plan), and of a regulatory document,
development for the rest of the region in a balanced manner to the Local Plan, supporting the technical implementation
achieve the trends of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS). The for selected areas within the city. The scope of these plans
NSS directs balanced regional development by: includes:

• Spreading and focusing economic development at the • Long-term strategy for the city;
National Growth Centre (Tabuk), regional and local • Identification of relevant development areas;
growth centres as well as rural clusters and communities; • Identification of urban/non urban land;
• Applying the recommendation of the National Spatial • Main mobility system;
Strategy to make the city of Duba a Regional Growth • Environmental protection;
Centre and to support its tourism development. This has • Infrastructure provision;
been implemented by the presence of a port and the • Detailed land use;
proposed establishment of both an airport as well as an • Urban regulations; and
industrial area; • Detailed proposals for selected areas.
• Raising the level of the city of Taima to a Regional Growth
Centre to support its active agricultural development as Structural Plan of Tabuk
well as the development of touristic sites to achieve the The Structural Plan aims to identify key spatial structures as
developmental balance between the coastal corridor and those provided for in the Regional Spatial Strategy. The Tabuk
the internal corridor of the Region; Structural Plan (1996-2043) was prepared by the Amanah and
• Sustaining the level of the cities of Al-Wajh, Omloj, Haql, approved by MoMRA. This plan, in line with the Regional Plan,
and Al Beir as Local Development Centres to support the highlights different objectives for the different cities that are
tourism development of these cities, in addition to the located within the metropolitan area.
existence of fishing and mining activities;
• Excluding Al-Assafiyah from being designed into a Local Within the context of the National Urban Strategy and the
Growth Centre pursuant to the recommendation of Tabuk suggestions from the development strategy of the Tabuk
Urban Development Strategy because it is in a protected Region, it has been determined within the City’s Structural
reserved area (Al-Khanifah Reserve); Plan that Tabuk City should be a National Growth Centre. This
• Establishing a Local Growth Centre in the city of Bida to would help in achieving a more balanced regional development
support tourism services in this coastal sector; and it would require the city to have the following facilities to
• Developing rural clusters (Rural Growth Centers) in the serve the surrounding local communities and clusters, as well
villages of Shakra, Kulaiba, Ashawaq, Sharma, New Al- as the numerous villages and hamlets:
Jahra, Al-Shabhah, Al-Mungor, Maqhna, and Zaytah,
as well as the development of a rural cluster for a new • Universities, technical colleges, and technical institutes;
village called Al-Hawj located on Tabuk/Skaka corridor. • International airport and multimodal transport systems;
This village will not only act as a hub for agricultural • Sports fields and cultural centre;
activities and an extension of Basaita agricultural plains in • Agricultural and animal activities;
Al-Jouf Region but also serves the international, regional • Industrial city and craft workshops;
corridor of Tabuk/Skaka/Arar; • Money, trading and bank activities, and market;
• Linking Tabuk Region with neighbouring areas with the • Tourism, leisure, and recreational activities;
following development corridors: Dhiba/Tabuk/Sakaka/ • Transport and export;
Arar (the northernmost international corridor of the • Health Services; and
Kingdom); Internal corridor of Tabuk-Taima -Madinah; • Security and administrative services.
Corridor of Wajih - Ola – Hael; and The coastal corridor of
Madinah - Yanbu -Tabuk; However, several important urban projects are included in the
• Linking the National Growth Centre (Tabuk) with various Structural Plan, the most important of which are the following:
growth centres in addition to linking rural clusters with
other sub-development corridors including Regional • The supply of infrastructure networks for development
and Local Growth Centres and strengthening the road action areas according to the five-year plans and stages
network and infrastructure; and of implementation of the Structural Plan;
• Focussing on economic and industrial development, • Initiation of study programs for the road networks leading
by enhancing agricultural, mining and tourist activities to the industrial zone towards the North-Eastern part of
as well as work on using the mining within the various the city;
growth centres. • Initiation of study programs for the industrial zone;
• Activate the Western and Northern Ring Road to serve

34
 © Google Maps

Crop circles in Tabuk

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 G OVERNANCE AND F INANCIAL F RAM E W ORK

the university and sports city; and while MoMRA is the central spatial planning institution but
• Authorise the use of land located along the Madinah there is no clear coordination mechanism. This frequently
Road on both sides for residential, commercial purposes leads to decision-making impasse which affects the delivery
with a depth of 400 metres for 20 kilometres starting of technical standards within municipalities such as Tabuk. The
from the yard of Tabuk Sahari Hotel. Tabuk Local Plan was approved in 2013, and it was prepared
by MoMRA in coordination with the Amanah.
In terms of land-use, the Structural Plan identifies strategic
land uses and infrastructure networks within the metropolitan 3.2.4 Tabuk Urban Growth and
area of the 2030 Urban Growth Boundary. Within this growth Development Protection Boundaries
boundary, 30.95% of the land is reserved for governmental
uses whereas 18.59% of the urban area is reserved for Legal Framework
residential use. Within the city’ geographical extent, 12.84% In 2008, the Prime Minister issued decree No. 157, which
of the land is kept for agricultural use, which means that the sets the overall regulations for both the Urban Growth
definition and separation of buildable vis-a-vis non-buildable Boundary (until 2030) and the Development Protection
areas is strong in Tabuk. Boundary. The executive regulations were issued in 2010 by
the MoMRA Ministerial Decree No. 11769 followed by the
This plan does not promote a clear mixed land use strategy as current revision (MoMRA Ministerial Decree No. 66000) which
it encourages a mono land use typology instead. Mixed land was enacted in 2014. The growth boundary is intended to
uses, (3.86% Commercial and Residential) are only proposed control urban expansion and prevent sprawl in the outskirts
along the major corridors. Other uses, such as industrial have of cities without adequate urban infrastructure, whereas
a land allocation of 5.25%, while more than 11% of the city’s the development protection boundary sets a long-term plan
urban land is earmarked for public facilities. for future development of cities beyond the 2030 urban
growth boundary. The 2014 Decree stipulates several general
Local Plan development principles including:
The Local Plan represents the third level of the urban planning
system in KSA and is largely focused on those areas of a • Strategic development projects that are part of the spatial
municipality, which are contained within the UGB with a strategies, including major road and railway networks
special focus on housing. The Local Plan contains the Urban passing through private lands, should be prioritised over
Atlas which details the allowed land uses for every part of the any other development projects;
city. It is complemented by a regulations report which contains • Development projects outside of the boundary are only
specifications on the permissible development rights such as permitted with the approval of MoMRA; and
floor area ratio, street dynamics, building heights, areas of • Large-scale development projects should follow specified
special building regulations, etc. detailed standards.

The aim of the Local Plan is to a) apply urban controls to urban The Law also defines development standards that a developer
land use and building regulations; b) to provide public services is obliged to comply with based on strategic categories of
and infrastructure in a cost-effective and integrated manner; c) national, regional, and local centres and the size of the lot.
set basic requirements for proposed road networks; and d) help Tabuk is categorised as a National Growth Centre (See figure
facilitate the development of public and private sector housing. 15).

There is no legal framework to direct the preparation and Legally, the area between the Development Protection
implementation of local plans. Rather, it is prepared by various Boundary and the 1450 (2030) Urban Growth Boundary is
consultants following the “Booklet of the Terms of Reference protected and not earmarked for development, but the law
for the Preparation of the Local Plan,” which is formulated also outlines mechanisms for building mega or national-
by MoMRA. This Booklet was updated in 2015, and one key regional economic projects therein.
technical change is the requirement that the lifespan of new
plans should be 14 years (2015-2029). Moreover, given law, certain agencies have rights to land
situated in such areas, where approval of development projects
The development of the Local Plan is complicated by the is routinely controllede by set of regulations in this regard.
fact that there are parallel structures set up by MoMRA and MoMRA’s powers of assessing compliance. Additionally,
the Ministry of the Interior. While the legal mandate for given the legal flexibility around the definition of “mega” or
planning lies in the Municipalities (under MoMRA), there are “strategic” projects, private residential developments exist
jurisdictional overlaps with the Mohafazat (Governorates, sub- outside the 1450 (2030) Urban Growth Boundary. These
regional) and Markaz (Districts), which are set up under the factors have undermined the functional effectiveness of the
Ministry of Interior. In other words, the Ministry of Interior regulations, the rule of law, as well as compact development
is the oversight entity for regional project implementation5 of urban areas.

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 G O V E R N A N C E A N D FI N A N C I A L FR A M EWO R K

URBAN BOUNDARY CLASSIFICATION OF LAND SUBDIVISION APPROVALS

AND THE URBAN BOUNDARY PHASES
EXECUTIVE REGULATION ISSUED BY THE MINISTERIAL DECREE
NO 66,000 IN 20/12/2014

1ST PHASE (2014-2018) 2ND PHASE (2019-2024) 3RD PHASE (2025-2030)

NATIONAL GROWTH CENTERS (HAEL, TABUK, BURAIDAH, ONAIZA, ARAR, NAJRAN,

JAZAN, AL BAHA, SAKAKA, ABHA, TAIF AND AL AHSA)
MORE THAN 500,000 SQM

- Tarmacking of internal roads - Tarmacking of internal roads - Tarmacking of internal roads

- Sanitation and electricity - Sanitation and electricity - Sanitation and electricity
- Water if available - Water if available - Water if available
- Storm water infrastructure - Storm water infrastructure - Storm water infrastructure
- Connect to closest main road - Connect to closest main road
- Percentage of residential area completed not - Percentage of residential area completed not
less than 50% less than 50%
- Provide land for social services - Provide land for social services
(schools, kindergartens, hospitals, etc.) (schools, kindergartens, hospitals, etc.)

- Tarmacking of internal roads

- Sanitation and electricity - -
- Provide land for social services
(schools, kindergartens, hospitals)

Fig. 15. Matrix Showing the development options within the phases of the Urban Boundary in the National Growth Centres (including Tabuk)

Setting the Boundary the requisite infrastructure to the Amanah of the Tabuk
The Urban Growth Boundary for Tabuk was set simultaneously, Region;
along with other cities, by MoMRA, through a Committee • The Amanah will then assess the application in
under the Unit of Coordination and Projects. The composition accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Urban
of the committee is not yet clear, for instance, it did not involve Growth Boundary; except those cases defined by MoMRA
the municipality of Tabuk Region, which is responsible for Ministerial Decree No 17777. This Decree delegates
planning at the city level. There is an understanding that the certain roles to the mayors in regards to approving land
calculations were based on selective factors, such as historical subdivision, solely in relation to the size of residential
growth and expected population growth in the city; however, projects. The Mayor of the Tabuk Region is an approval
there is no accurate published criteria on how the size of the authority under this Law;
boundary was calculated. • The application is then sent to MoMRA for review in
accordance with development standards and applicable
Challenges building codes, and building permits are either refused or
Although Tabuk is considered an ideal city for the granted by MoMRA;
implementation of the phased stages of the UGB, there is • A developer whose permit has been refused has two
segregated development and disconnection between the options of appeal: a) recourse to the Amanah and
different development phases because of white lands owned MoMRA calling a re-study of the application; or b) file
by both the government and military, as well as agricultural the case in the relevant jurisdictional administrative court;
land, which is allocated within the different phases of the UGB. • The decision in the above appeal processes is final and
binding to all the parties.
Permitting
Development within the UGB is closely linked to permitting White Lands Act
and development control. The process in Tabuk is as follows: The percentage of undeveloped land (“white lands”), in
• A developer submits a land subdivision plan, including Tabuk is not high; there are 1,388 hectares which represents
detailed implementation plans for the instalment of more than 7% of the land inside the 1450 (2030) UGB. The

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Fig. 16. FSCP simplified representation of Planning Process and Actors involved in the preparation of the Tabuk local Plan

38
G O V E R N A N C E A N D FI N A N C I A L FR A M EWO R K

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 G OVERNANCE AND F INANCIAL F RAM E W ORK

government recently issued the White Lands Tax Law6 that conducting urban planning of the Kingdom’s cities, including
imposes an annual land tax of 2.5% of its value on “white providing the necessary roads and fixtures, maintenance and
land,” which is defined as vacant land located in ‘populated cleanliness of the environment, as well as of licensing all types
areas’; zoned for residential or for dual residential and of construction activity. The Deputy Ministry of Town Planning
commercial use. This Law aims to: a) increase the supply of under MoMRA and its departments, such as Local Planning,
developed land to better address housing shortages; b) make Studies & Research, Projects Coordination and Urban Planning
residential land available at reasonable prices, and c) combat & Design, is mandated to coordinate with “concerned bodies”
monopolistic practices. The Ministry of Housing, which is the in charge of planning, to achieve comprehensive urban
implementing authority, will enforce the Law in phases. At development.8 In practice, there is little coordination between
the moment, the Act is operational only in Makkah, Riyadh, these departments and the Amanah, and this affects service
Dammam and Jeddah (See figure 17). delivery and project implementation.

7% 3.3.2 Regional context: Tabuk Region

45%
Riyadh
According to the Ministry of Interior administrative
21% Jeddah classification, the Tabuk Region is divided into six governorates
(3 are class A while 3 are class B), and 66 centres (18 are class
Dammam A while 48 are class B). Tabuk, being the regional capital,
is not included in this classification but is instead governed
Others through a “municipality” (Amanah), and headed by a Mayor.
This delineation is provided for by MoMRA with Tabuk’s actual
27% status being a 2nd class Amanah. Given this structure, the
Amanah is allocated funds by MoMRA for development action
Fig. 17. Percentage of white lands after implementation of the first and municipal services through an annual line-item budgeting,
phase of the White Lands Law which is the sole fiscal means available to Tabuk.

There are additional institutions in the Tabuk Region that

manage and regulate the development process. The Amarah
3.2.5 Land Subdivision Plans
of the region, headed by the Regional Prince who, pursuant to
the Regional Law,9 reports to the Ministry of Interior.
The Land Subdivision Plans are the basic building blocks for
KSA cities’ growth and development. The Mayor of the Tabuk
The Regional Council is based in the Amarah and is required
Region has the power to approve the land subdivision in
to :
accordance with the following criteria (Ministerial Decree No.
17777 of 2010):
• Identify the needs of the region and propose their
inclusion in the National Development Plan;
• The land must be within the approved urban boundaries;
• Identify beneficial projects for the region and submit
• The land use specified for the land is consistent with the
these as activities requiring funding. These requests are
instructions and regulations governing it;
vetted, and viable projects selected for funding. Funding
• The subdivision will not result in cancellation or
is provided as part of the National Development Plans and
modification of an approved regulation, planning or
annual budget of the country, which is the sole means
authorised land use;
available to municipalities;
• All necessary planning procedures have been completed
• Study the organisational arrangement of the regional
and the Deputy Ministry for Town Planning (DMTP) has
administrative centres, follow up implementation of any
been issued with a certified copy of the plan after its
modifications; and
approval.
• Implement the provisions of the development and budget
plan, and carry out the needed coordination.
There are more than 1,100 land subdivision plans, which have
been approved by the Amanah within the UGB.7
The Municipal Council, also located in the Amanah, with
two-thirds of its members appointed by citizen’s votes while
3.3 The Institutional Context MoMRA appoints the rest, supervises the activities of the
Amanah and municipalities to make sure that they conform to
3.3.1 Urban institutions in KSA the Local Plan, as well as meet the current needs of the region.
It approves:
Tabuk’s growth and development pattern is impacted by
the centralised planning institutional framework of the • The municipal budget sourced from the cash allocation
KSA, under MoMRA. MoMRA is entrusted with the task of from the national government. This is constantly subject

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 G O V E R N A N C E A N D FI N A N C I A L FR A M EWO R K

to revision as it is based on the agreed priorities between • Deputy of Urban Development;

the Council and the Mayor; • Deputy of Construction;
• Examines the residential plans focusing on whether any • Deputy of Services (Environment); and
procedural violation occurred; • Deputy of Development and Municipal Resources
• The scope of municipal services; and Development.
• Expropriation projects based on the priorities of the
Mayor. There are various challenges facing the Amanah in relation to
the administration of Tabuk, such as:
The Council has no executive powers as this is vested in
MoMRA, the Regional Prince and the Regional Council, and • The lands owned by the governmental and military
therefore, it does not have the capacity to directly follow up its authorities are located within the urban core, which hinders
recommendations. the planning initiatives of the Amanah;
• The role of the Amanah is merely to apply the regulations
3.3.3 Local context: Tabuk and legislation, especially those issued by the higher
authorities. It has a limited role mainly providing
The Tabuk Region is composed of several cities including Tabuk, developmental suggestions as per the Council of Ministers
which is the capital and largest city. As earlier mentioned, the Real Estate Disposal Regulation, 2003 and its implementing
city is managed by the Amanah which is headed by a mayor. regulations, 2005. The Amanah also has a direct role in the
The mayor is appointed by the Minister of MoMRA and the preparation of building regulations/systems of the city of
rest of the Amanah’s executive members are appointed by the Tabuk, especially within the approved Local Plan;
Civil Service Bureau based on their professional qualifications. • Many governmental agencies, and especially their
departments operating within Tabuk city, overlap with
The organisational structure of the Tabuk Amanah was the Amanah of Tabuk region, which are the Tabuk Region
updated three times since the establishment of the Amanah of Council, Tabuk Municipal Council, and the Municipalities
Tabuk. However, within the administrative structure and under of the Governorates, (13) (Transportation, Electricity
the Mayor’s office, there are four important main deputies/ Company, Water, Agriculture, Civil Defence, Traffic, Civil
agencies concerned with the administrative, organisational, Service, and Notary public.);
and planning aspects of the Amanah of Tabuk as follows: • There is limited vertical coordination between the Amanah
and the Ministerial departments, except for the Ministry

© FSCP

Presentation of the Future Saudi Cities Programme

41
 G OVERNANCE AND F INANCIAL F RAM E W ORK

of Finance, where there are continuous and direct public services and infrastructures at the local level. Baladiyahs10
coordination and communication, especially with respect submit project proposals to the municipal government, who
to budgets, financial claims, and preparation of budgets; sends them to MoMRA and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) for
• Only a few employees are specialised in urban planning, approval. The MoF allocates fund to ministries and government
and in addition the recruitment and selection process is agencies, (e.g., emir and regional councils) taking into account
bureaucratic and time-consuming; additional factors, such as population.
• An insufficient budget which does not compliment the
magnitude of work to be undertaken within the Amanah. In the fiscal year of 2017, Tabuk generated 5% of its budget
This affects, among others, the hiring of qualified with own-source revenue. Land sales, signboard fees, detect
consultants to prepare the plans; and fees, and land rentals are the main contributors to own-source
• The procedures to monitor violations of planning revenue, representing 89% of the Amanah’s local income, . The
regulations and enforcing administrative actions, such as gap between own-source revenue and the municipal budgets is
penalties is cumbersome, hence ineffective as a deterrent usually filled by intergovernmental transfers, resulting in heavy
mechanism. reliance of municipal governments on financial resources from
• More effective mechanisms are needed to tackle the the central government.
emergence of unplanned settlements within farmlands as
well as the air pollution from the landfill on the fringes of Although between 2014 and 2017 own-source revenue
the city that is affecting residents. increased from SAR 39 million to SAR 42 million in the Tabuk
Amanah, it remains below the National Transformation
3.3.4 Legal and institutional implications Programme (NTP) budget target of 40%. To help bolster the
for Tabuk own-source income, UN-Habitat recommends introducing
new tax tools and financing strategies.
Most of the technical decisions and approvals in the local
governance (Amanah), including planning decisions, are Every year the MoF solicits each ministry for budget proposals.
made on a discretionary basis based on the priorities set for Thus, ministries are responsible for drafting budgets that are
the city. Therefore, the system lacks technical accountability, compliant with budgetary guidelines. Even though the final
predictability, and practical clarity. decision is usually a top-down process, within MoMRA the
procedure tends to be bottom-up, therefore, lower levels of
government submit projects for the next budgetary cycle.
3.4 Financial Context
For example, the Amanahs gather project proposals from
Baladiyahs, which are then submitted to MoMRA. Following
3.4.1 Financial system
budget evaluations and revisions, the approved projects are
included for review by the MOF. After review and approval,
Sound fiscal management is key to supporting local
MoF allocates funding accordingly.
development. They are fundamental when establishing a
solid financial base that strengthens the public sector’s role in
endorsing economic development. This chapter examines the 3.4.3 Financing municipal operating cost
financial system in Saudi Arabia, particularly regarding Tabuk.
Despite minor setbacks between 2014 and 2017, own-source
The financial system reflects the degree of centralisation revenue increased by 9%, corresponding to an increase from
of the governance system in the KSA. MoMRA, via SAR 39 million in 2014 to SAR 42 million in 2017.11 However,
Amanahs, is responsible for financing municipal service Tabuk remains dependent on intergovernmental transfers and
activities, such as city planning, building licensing, and other financial resources provided by the central government.
road maintenance. In addition to MoMRA, other specialised Figure 22 shows a breakdown of Tabuk’s 2017 budget
agencies, (e.g., emir, regional councils, national level by expenditure category. The category of other expenses
ministries), fund and implement projects at the city level.
For instance, the Ministry of Education funds city schools
Key Accounts SAR (thousands)
directly, instead of funding them through the Amanahs.
Sales 3,866
3.4.2 Municipal revenue Service fees and Charges 9,885
Leasing 26,617
Currently, the Amanah only has a few sources of revenue and
limited authority to collect fees. MoMRA has recently introduced Other Revenue 2,409
municipal fees, which expanded their own-source revenue base,
but local revenues continue to be insufficient. Consequently, Total Budget 42,771
the Amanah continues to be reliant on support from the central Source: Tabuk Amanah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2017
budget. Therefore, the central government finances most of the
Fig. 18. Tabuk Amanah own-source revenue

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 G O V E R N A N C E A N D FI N A N C I A L FR A M EWO R K

example, the Capital Market Law, the Security and Exchange

Other
Commission, and a privately owned Stock Exchange have
Penalties and Fines
recently been launched in Saudi Arabia with the goal of
Land Rental improving the domestic capital market. Between 2011 and
Detect Fees 2016, Saudi equities increased in value from just over 50% of
Construction,renovation GDP to almost 70% of GDP. Today, Tadawul is the sole Saudi
and demolition charges
stock exchange market and the largest equities exchange
Signboards Fees
market in the Arab world. In addition to Tadawul, Saudi Arabia
Store sign Fee introduced Nomu, an equity market for small and medium-
Advertisement Fees sized enterprises (SMEs). With fewer listing requirements,
Store license Fees
Nomu is a good option for SMEs that are interested in going
public. In addition to providing traditional banking services,
Land sales
Saudi Arabia’s domestic banks went through a series of
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
mergers and acquisitions, diversified their assets, and began
Own-source revenue (% share)
to offer both conventional and Islamic investment products to
Fig. 19. Tabuk Amanah own-souce revenue breakdown, 2017
a diversified investor base. The Saudi Arabian capital market
is becoming an example of efficient capital allocation driven
constitutes the largest portion of the budget, followed by
operation, maintenance/programs, and contracts. Other
Budget Category SAR (thousands)
expenses during the Financial Year 2017 accounted for 67%
and were primarily focused on public infrastructures and Salaries 70,178
facilities. Operation Expenses 11,590
Operation and Maintenance 111,763
Programmes and Contracts
Ministry of Finance
Other 654,097
Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs
)MoMRA( Own-Source Revenue 47,571

Municipal government Municipal government

Total Budget 890,202
)Amanah( )Amanah(
Source: Ministry of Finance, Saudi Arabia (2017)

Baladiyah Baladiyah Baladiyah Baladiyah Salaries

8% Operation
Expenses
1%
Villages Villages Villages Villages Villages Villages Villages Villages

Operation and
Source: Ministry of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Other Maintenace
77% 13%

Fig. 20. Municipal budgeting process

As shown in figure 22, the Amanah’s budget is highly

dependent on the national economic trend; hence its
expenditure performance can be unstable. This bias is
particularly evident during the oil crisis in 2014. It is, therefore,
clear that policy incentives and new financial instruments are
of strategic importance to increase efficiency and performance
Source: Tabuk Amanah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2017)
of public finance by local government in the KSA.
Fig. 21. Budget breakdown for Tabuk, 2017

by strategic reforms and increased market capitalisation.12

3.4.4 Capital financing for municipal
development Regarding Saudi Arabia’s debt market, the government
began issuing bonds for debt financing in 1988. In the last
The demand for capital to finance local infrastructures in 15 years, the debt market underwent a series of reforms,
emerging economies is becoming a priority, especially in cities which changed the process for issuing bonds, pricing
like Tabuk. Recent reforms are aiming at improve the Saudi bonds, and setting bond maturity terms. One major buyer
capital market through increased market capitalisation. For of government bonds is the group, Investors in Government

43
 G OVERNANCE AND F INANCIAL F RAM E W ORK

Development Bonds (GDBs), which is made up of domestic held the largest share of the SEC client base (6.7 million) in
financial institutions, banks, and foreign investors. GDBs are 2015 and consumed 48.4% of its energy output. The second
Zakat deductible for domestic investors and exempt from largest consumer group was commercial users (1.5 million
withholding tax on income for foreign investors. consumers, 16.3% of energy sales), followed by government
(261,111 consumers, 13% of energy sales) and industry
This approach creates competitive and attractive conditions (10,044 consumers, 18.1% energy sales).15
for capital and equity investors and is expected to have wide-
ranging impacts on the local economies of cities like Tabuk. The primary water provider is the Saline Water Conversion
Therefore, in the future it will increase the availability of Corporation (SWCC), and it is responsible for approximately
capital to fund urban development. 60% of the Kingdom’s production of desalinated water. In
2015, 54% of all desalination plant units were owned and
Housing Finance operated by the SWCC, with the largest of the SWCC’s
The Saudi Arabian real estate market is ten times larger than plants located in Jubail. In 2016, Jubail’s production reached
any real estate market in the Gulf region. Nevertheless, it 358 million cubic meters, equivalent to 26% of SWCC’s
remains underdeveloped with approximately 30% of Saudi’s total annual production. SWCC also has desalination plants
citizens owning their own home. Home ownership is currently located in Khobar, Jeddah, and Shuaibah. SWCC is also
legally confined to Saudi nationals only, although foreigners responsible for the transportation of desalinated water from
can buy leasehold property in designated developments. the production plants to the country’s main potable water
Prior to the mortgage law and mortgage financing, either the reservoirs. The National Water Company (NWC) manages
Real Estate Development Fund or commercial banks financed Saudi Arabia’s freshwater reservoirs, which is responsible
the housing credit market. for the water distribution. The NWC oversees water supply
and sanitation in the largest cities, Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah,
The Real Estate Development Fund is one of the main sources and Taif. Outside of these metropolitan areas, the Ministry
for soft loans to Saudi nationals to finance home building. of Environment Water and Agriculture, and the Ministry of
Commercial banks, in general, provide mortgages to those Energy Industry and Mineral Resources manage water supply
who can provide large down payments. In order to fill the and sanitation through regional directorates and branches,
resulting financing gap in the housing market, a series of (i.e., the General Directorate of Water in the Tabuk Region).
finance laws were approved consisting of (1) the Enforcement Although the SEC and the SWCC are largely government-
Law, (2) the Real Estate Finance Law, (3) the Registered Real owned agencies, Saudi Arabia is exploring restructuring
Estate Mortgage Law, (4) the Finance Lease Law, and (5) the options that will allow private sector participation.
Finance Companies Control Law.13 Initially, the loan-to-value
rate for mortgages was fixed at a rate of 70%. Financing Health and Social Services
In accordance with the Saudi constitution, the government
Compared to other countries, such as the United Kingdom provides all citizens and expatriates working within the
and India, where the rate is 90-95% and 80% respectively, public sector with full and free access to all public healthcare
the loan-to-value ratio offered in Saudi Arabia was services16. The Ministry of Health is the primary government
considerably lower. Recently, Saudi Arabia’s central bank provider of healthcare services in Saudi Arabia,17 with a total
lifted the maximum loan-to-value rate on mortgages from of 249 hospitals and 2,094 primary health care facilities.
85% to 90% in an effort to stimulate the supply of mortgage Government healthcare comprises 60% of all health services
loans.14 Thanks to the recent legislation, international finance in Saudi Arabia. The private sector also contributes to the
companies are now able to extend credit lines in housing. delivery of healthcare services, especially in more populated
Financing Utilities cities and towns. There are 125 private hospitals (11,833
In 2016, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, beds) and 2,218 private dispensaries and clinics, comprising
and the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources 21% of hospital services in the region.18
managed national utilities. The Electricity and Cogeneration
Regulatory Authority (ECRA) was established in 2001, and The Ministry of Health supervises 20 regional directorates
it is responsible for licensing all entities operating in either of healthcare affairs in various parts of the country, (e.g.,
the electricity or water desalination spheres, in addition to Health Affairs General Directorate of Tabuk). The role of the
regulating providers. ECRA ensures that the Saudi Arabia’s 20 directorates includes (1) implementing healthcare policies,
supply of electricity and water is in pace with demand, that plans and programs, (2) managing and supporting the
quality standards are met, and that water and electricity Ministry of Health’s healthcare services, (3) supervising and
are priced fairly. The largest electricity provider is the Saudi organising private sector healthcare services, (4) coordinating
Electricity Company (SEC). In 2015, the SEC was solely with other government agencies and (5) coordinating with
responsible for distributing electricity to consumers, with partner institutions. In Tabuk there are 11 Ministries of Health
the exception of two areas (Jubail and Yanbu), which were hospitals (47 in Riyadh and 14 in Jeddah) holding 1,220
operated by Marafiq, the country’s first private integrated beds. In order to meet the increasing demand for healthcare
power and water utility company. Residential customers services, the Ministry of Health has given regional directorates

44
 G O V E R N A N C E A N D FI N A N C I A L FR A M EWO R K

wider autonomy in terms of planning, recruitment, power to significant source of revenue for the Ministry of Housing,
establish agreements with healthcare service providers and curb land speculation, and protect agricultural land. However,
financial discretion in budgetary and expenditure matters. neither of these is a silver bullet to own-source revenue
Nevertheless, for most activities, regional directorates must diversification in KSA.
receive authorisation from the Ministry of Health and,
therefore, have limited autonomy.19 A wide spectrum of land-based financing instruments exists
beyond its current focus on leasing and WLT. In the age of
3.4.5 Financial sustainability decreasing oil income, Tabuk will require greater revenue
stability and self-sustainability to meet its ever-growing
Under the current system, the central government funds the expenditure needs. To this end, Tabuk must explore a variety of
majority of infrastructure and public services while municipal financing instruments and improve the capacity of the existing
governments play a minor role. Despite the concerted effort to land management system.
improve fiscal health envisioned in NTP, fiscal self-sustainability
at the municipal level remains a challenge in the context of Urban Value Generation
rising urban populations and unplanned urban growth. Public finance and sound fiscal management support local
development by establishing a solid financial base and
Land-Based Finance strengthening the public sector’s role. While these principles
Land is widely recognised as one of the most effective are echoed in the National Development Plan guiding both
revenue generating instruments for subnational governments. national and subnational public finance, in practice, Tabuk
Land-based finance provides both a stable revenue source operates under a highly centralised system of public finance
and incentives that support local economic and urban and continues to be heavily dependent on intergovernmental
development. In the Tabuk Amanah, land is already a major transfers to fund local development activities and projects.
contributor to municipal own-source revenue. In 2017, 30% In 2017, the central government allocated 5% of the total
of the municipal revenue derived from land sales and rental.20 budget to municipal services, which also covered projects and
programs managed by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural
The introduction of 2.5% White Lands Tax (WLT) is further Affairs (MoMRA), (see figure 22 and figure 23).
proof that the Kingdom’s recognition of land-based finance
as a powerful revenue source. In Tabuk, where approximately To reduce reliance on intergovernmental transfers and
41% of land is vacant,21 the WLT is expected to provide a increase the performance of municipal services and activities,

© SeeSaudi

Landscape in Tabuk Region

45
 G OVERNANCE AND F INANCIAL F RAM E W ORK

the government is exploring alternative means to generate

revenue.

Tabuk’s economic growth and urban development trajectory

are strongly correlated to planning and design, municipal
finance, and governance. Land management and urban
planning can support the transformation of municipal finance
by improving local ability to generate revenue. For example,
Tabuk could explore a number of revenue generating
instruments, such as partnering with the private sector
through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the operation
and maintenance of public transportation infrastructure, tax
administration and collection, waste management services,
and municipal property management. In order for this to
work, the foundational principles of sustainable urbanisation
mentioned above must be either present or actively pursued
by governments. Consequently, local governance structures
that adopt a three-pronged comprehensive approach will be
better positioned to maximise urban value.22

Infrastructure Infrastructure
& Transport Public & Transport
Economic 5% Programs Unit Public Programs Unit
Economic 6%
Resources 10% 12%
Resources
5% Public 5% Public
Administration Administration
Health & Social 3% Health & Social 3%
Development Development
12% 14%
Military Military
25% 21%

Education Education
25% 23%

Security & Regional Security & Regional

Municipal Administration Municipal Administration
Services 12% Services 11%
3% 5%

Source: Bhatia, R. (2017). Saudi Arabia Budget 2017. The Gulf’s International Bank. Source: Bhatia, R. (2017). Saudi Arabia Budget 2017. The Gulf’s International Bank.

Fig. 22. Saudi Arabia national expenditure by sector, 2016 Fig. 23. Saudi Arabia national expenditure by sector, 2017

46
 © sabq

Major roads infrastructure in the city of Tabuk

47
48
 4 THE CURRENT CITY

© FSCP
 TH E CURR ENT CITY

4.1 Urbanisation Patterns

4.1.1 The city’s development patterns

The City of Tabuk is the capital of the Tabuk Region in North- POPULATION
Western Saudi Arabia, and the Northern gateway to the Kingdom,
located about 100 kilometres South of the Jordanian border, 130
kilometres East of the Gulf of Aqaba. Its location along the ancient
694,384
pilgrim and trade route from Jordan and Syria not only elevated
its significance and importance in the past but also embeds
development possibilities for its future.
POPULATION DENSITY on built-up area
With an approximate population of 694,300 inhabitants, Tabuk is
the largest city in Northwest Saudi Arabia. Of the 694,384 current
residents of the city, 83% are Saudi national while 17% are Non-
45.2 p/ha
Saudis. Furthermore, 28.7% of the total population is below the
age of 15 years old while 54.6% or 333,300 of all inhabitants are
below the age of 30. This is an indication that Tabuk has a large
youthful population resulting in the necessity for the provision of
AGE PROFILE
adequate housing, education, parks, services, public infrastructure,
and employment opportunities. 54.6% < 30
The city’s physical layout is anchored to its old built-up area core
which is centered around the historic Tawba Mosque, (Prophet
Muhammad’s Mosque) growing concentrically outwards to a
radius of approximately 3.5 kilometres. The overall development POPULATION GROWTH RATE
of the city is currently contained within the King Faisal Ring
Road. Current built-up area of the city lays on the South and East 2.5%
quadrants of the Ring Road, while recently built-up area occupies
the Northeastern quadrant. Future developments and unplanned 950,000 Expected population by 2030
settlements are dispersed on the Western side of the Ring Road.
Beyond the Ring Road are farmlands towards the North and South.
Tabuk Airport lays just beyond the Ring Road, approximately four
kilometres from the old city centre. Large blocks of military lands
cover the Southern and Western sides of the city, outside of the
Ring Road.

Geographically, the city lies at the intersection of the Hejaz

mountain range and the plains of the Northern Region. There is
a significant presence of underground water surrounded by hills
and wadis, and the three important regional wadis are Wadi Al-

?
Akhdar (Green Valley), Wadi Damm, and Wadi Asafir. Additionally,
wadis Abu Nishfah, Dabaan, and Albaar are located within the
urban built-up area.

Both natural and manmade elements influence the city’s

development pattern. Natural elements such as the wadis and
mountain range previously mentioned have steered the city’s
development pattern. The current and future built-up urban area
of the city conforms to the wadi system resulting in associated land
uses distributed accordingly across the city fabric. The location of
farming activities is directly linked to the underground water table.
Man-made elements such as the King Faisal Ring Road which TABUK CITY COMPARED TO MILAN MUNICIPALITY
measures approximately 42 kilometres in circumference and Population: 5,270,000
covers a land area of approximately 14,000 hectares shapes the Area: 181.8 km2
Density: 291 p/ha
development of the city, and have an impact on its development.
Additionally, the location of the airport and military lands are major

50
Fig. 24. Boundaries, neighbourhoods and key infrastructure

51
 TH E CURR ENT CITY

1980 1990
Area:2,626 ha Area:4,031 ha
Population: 116,000 Population: 246,961

sqm per
capita

Tabuk
628 sqm/capita

UN-Habitat Standard
66.67 sqm/capita

Fig. 25. Land allocated per capita

52
 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

2006 2017
Area:5,365 ha Area:9,903 ha
Population: 451,757 Population: 694,384

Urban Growth Stages

Before 1517 2017

Fig. 26. Urban growth stages

53
 TH E CURR ENT CITY

man-made influencers and the city is currently the largest military and wadis. The 1450 Urban Growth Boundary defines the extent
base in the Kingdom. Tabuk’s urban development has experienced of the foreseen growth area for the city expansion, up to the year
rapid growth and transformation in the past 40 years. Based 1450 (2030). However, it’s spatial extension is growing faster
on the data provided by the Amanah, it appears that the city’s than the city’s population, resulting in sprawling and low-density
population doubled between 1980 and 1990, growing by 113% development. In 2006, only 5,365 out of 33,546 hectares of the
and going from 116,000 to 246,961. The city continued to grow UGB (15.9%) was developed, leaving 28,181 hectares of vacant
over the following 16 years recording a population of 451,757 land, with a density of 84.2 p/ha.
inhabitants in 2006, demonstrating an increase of 83% from
1990. Over the past 12 years, from 2006 to 2018, the population To counteract this recurring tendency, UN-Habitat proposes a
growth continued on a steady and stable upward trajectory, redefinition of the current DPB limits in order to amend the Tabuk
increasing by 54%, or 242,627, reaching what is Tabuk’s current Boundary, which reduces the area for urban expansion from 417
population of 694,384 inhabitants. The population of Tabuk has to 200 square kilometres. This area would be less than half of the
doubled six times in the last 37 years, from 1980 to 2017. Future current land area of the existing urban footprint. The area between
projections show, according to the current annual growth rate of the existing Development Protection Boundary and the proposed
2.5%, that the population will grow to 950,000 by 2030. This amended Tabuk boundary should, therefore, be considered a no-
means a projected increase of 36.8% or 255,000 inhabitants in development buffer zone for at least the next 50 to 60 years.
the next twelve years.
The regulatory laws and initiatives enforced by the Municipality fall
4.1.2 Administrative boundaries short in comparison to how fast private companies are developing,
as well as dividing large pieces of land in the peripheries of the city,
Three administrative boundaries define the city, and these are promoting urban sprawl. This indiscriminate land development is
the Development Protection Boundary, the 1450 Urban Growth a threat to sustainable urban development and places pressure on
Boundary, and 1435 Urban Growth Boundary. MoMRA set these the Municipal economy, undermining its ability and efficiency to
boundaries to control urban expansion and prevent urban sprawl supply/grant accessibility to water, electricity, sewage, education,
in the outskirts of the city without adequate urban infrastructure. hospitals, and public spaces.
The Development Protection Boundary, Tabuk’s outermost
boundary, covers an area of approximately 107,100 hectares. This Another relevant issue impacting urban sprawl is underdeveloped
boundary, delimiting the territory under the direct authority of the land. The underdeveloped land is defined as land that is not
Amanah, includes a variety of natural landscapes, farms, desert, compact or dense enough due to the recent development pattern

107,100 HA

44,245 HA
33,546 HA
4,437 HA
Fig. 27. Administrative boundaries

54
 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

outside the consolidated city, referring to subdivisions located façade shading. Another example is that it is more affordable for
away from the city centre. On the other hand, a high percentage of the city to provide and maintain infrastructure and services as the
available land within the city boundary is still vacant. For example, cost is shared amongst many people per hectare, not to mention,
in 2017, approximately 83% of the land within the 1450 UGB was a public realm that is vibrant and lively, therefore, supporting the
still vacant. Developing this land at the UN-Habitat recommended various commercial activities. One of the few disadvantages of
density of 150 p/ha would take 87 years given the current growth Tabuk’s dense development pattern is the overall lack of green
rate. Additionally, far-scattered developments create consistent open spaces in the urban core. To capitalise on all the benefits
pockets of urban voids, that undermine the continuity and compactness brings, the city will have to strategically implement
integration of the urban fabric. If these approved subdivisions are this important element in the urban core and across the city,
not redeveloped and redesigned according to an integrated and promoting interventions such as parks, green streets, small green
comprehensive vision of the metropolitan territory, and its system public spaces, and parklets.
of cities, a major development constraint in formulating efficient
future urban development plans will develop. The population density in transitional areas located between the
old city centre and the most recently developed areas continue to
4.1.3 Urban density register a high-density population, in comparison to other cities
in the KSA. The density in these areas ranges from 40 to 90 p/
Considering Tabuk total population of 694,300, and calculating the ha. Moving further outward from the high-density zones, density
average population density of the built-up area (15,360 hectares), is registered at an average of 30-40 p/ha, which, compared to
Tabuk has an average density of 45.2 inhabitants per hectare, other Saudi cities, is considered to be medium-density. Medium-
which is considered to be relatively high, if compared to other density development patterns provide similar advantages to the
urban contexts in the KSA. The highest density is in the core of high-density ones. Both patterns, if upgraded with strategic
the city, where the old city centre is located, and is estimated to be improvement initiatives can enhance the vibrancy of the city.
around 170-310 p/ha, in line with the UN-Habitat recommended
density for a compact and sustainable city. The urban fabric in On the outer edges of the urban fabric and beyond, the density
this area is compact, with buildings that are generally three to drops to 10-20 p/ha, and this is considered to be low-density.
five stories high, sited with mostly zero lot setbacks and some Low-density patterns do not present the same advantages as
mixed-use. The advantages of such a development pattern are high and medium-densities, as these areas are considered to be
numerous, for example, the compactness in the distribution of underdeveloped, however, this density level can be considered
the building offers shade to pedestrians on the streets, as well as acceptable for Tabuk. It should be noted that underdeveloped

Population:
694,384

Average population density:

45.20 p/ha

0 - 49 p/ha
50 - 99 p/ha
100 - 149 p/ha
150 > p/ha
Fig. 28. Current distribution of population density

55
 TH E CURR ENT CITY

4.2 Structuring Elements

4.2.1 Natural and topographic elements

areas suggest urban sprawl and present a risk of promoting The city of Tabuk lies at the intersection of the Hejaz mountain
a polarised and inefficient urban fabric. Low-density and range and the plains of the Northern region, at an altitude of
underdeveloped areas tend not to be walkable and pedestrian- 760 metres above sea level. The summer temperature ranges
friendly environments, promoting dependency on private car between 26 to 46°C, while the winter temperature ranges
ownership. The cost of providing basic services and infrastructure between -4 to 18°C. There are recorded snow days as well
is much higher in these areas; thus, citizens do not have adequate as rainy days during the winter months, from November to
access to public facilities, as well as efficient infrastructure such March, adding up to approximately 50mm to 150mm yearly
as water, sewage, and roads. In 2006, Tabuk’s average density precipitation.
was 84.2 p/ha and has since decreased by 16.8%, to70 p/ha. This
trend is expected to continue, and based on future land use plans From the centre of Tabuk, within a radius of 100 kilometres,
and the projected population, the density of Tabuk is expected the terrain and geographic formations vary, and the ground
to precipitate to 22.7 p/ha by the year 2030. Looking at the city’s plane is mostly rocky with gentle undulations. Towards the
evolution, it appears that in Tabuk the annual population growth South and Northwest of the city, the Hejaz Mountain Range
rate (2.5%) does not align with the parallel expansion of the city’s defines the territory, while towards the North and Northeast
land area. Tabuk’s land area has grown by 250% since 1980, mainly there are desert lands with patches of agricultural land, and
due to land speculation resulting in unnecessary city expansion, large sand dunes formation located at approximately 300
causing more of the population to disperse and sprawl and kilometres East of the city.
unbalanced growth patterns to occur. This phenomenon affects
the functioning of a city in a correct manner and its sustainability. There is a significant presence of underground water in the
This is manifested in the many monofunctional areas that arise, area of the city, as it is surrounded by hills and wadis, acting
as developers continue creating new, monofunctional, and gated as the receiving end of the stormwater flows running down
residential enclaves. Overall, it appears that low-density and urban the hills and mountains surrounding Tabuk. The three most
sprawl are two issues affecting Tabuk’s urban development. important regional wadis are Wadi Al-Akhdar (green valley),
Wadi Damm and Wadi Asafir, while the secondary Wadi Abu
Nishfah, Wadi Dabaan, and Albaar, are crossing Tabuk built-

© sabq

The city of Tabuk

56
 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

up area. As a result, agriculture developed widely in the city, variety of public transportation options should be a priority
and at one point in time made Tabuk the breadbasket of as the city develops. A public transportation system is
the region. Currently, the natural ecosystem within the city advantageous to a varying socio-economic population as it
and on its edges are affected by urban sprawl, where the is environmentally-friendly, efficient, encourages healthier
continuous development encroaching on agricultural land and habits, and is cost effective for both residents and city
sensitive ecosystems, poses a threat to Tabuk biodiversity and managers. There is a future transportation plan that will
environmental resilience. If this trend continues, the loss of develop a public transportation system to include two inner-
agricultural land will also have an adverse influence on the city light rail lines and three bus lines, all linking back to the
city’s food supply, its economic sustainability, and, to some national rail network. This will re-establish part of the Hejaz
extent, to its identity. Railways network.

4.2.2 Major movement infrastructure The Spatial Capital of Saudi Arabian Cities Report (Street
Connectivity Study for the City Prosperity Initiative, 2015)
Tabuk currently has a functioning network of roads that serve calculates street accessibility based on three variables:
the city well at this time. However, as the city grows and
expands, the network of roads will need to be reviewed and • The proportion of land allocated to streets;
upgraded accordingly. The hierarchy of roads begins with the • Street density; and
regional highways that feed into the King Faisal Ring Road, • Intersection density.
which measures approximately 42 kilometres in circumference
and covers a land area of approximately 14,000 hectares. A high accessibility assessment value translates to better
Localised major and minor roads connect the Ring Road to connectivity, penetration, mobility, and coverage of the city.
various neighbourhoods and districts to complete a vehicular Tabuk has a good intersection density value of 84 points and
movement network across the city. There is currently no public good value of 90 land allocated to streets, but poor street
transportation network available. Considering the size of the density at 43 points.
city and its current number of inhabitants, implementing a

Fig. 29. Major infrastructure and economic nodes

57
 TH E CURR ENT CITY

Intersection density is a fair indicator of compactness and being the second most dominant land-use. Governmental
walkability and shows how conducive a city is to non-motorised institutions follow this at 14.25% or 1,791 hectares, and
transport. Overall, Saudi cities average 136 intersections per public facilities with 11.96% or 1,503 hectares. It should be
square kilometre, which is above the optimal level estimated noted that mixed-use accounts for only 3.86%, equal to 485
by UN-Habitat of 100 intersections per square kilometre. While hectares, while commercial land use accounts for 1.46% or
intersection density is one of the measures of accessibility, it 184 hectares. The proposed land use plan does not provide
does not take into account the pattern of the streets, and if an appropriate increment to this figure, considering only
they optimise circulation for the uses surrounding them. Tabuk an additional 3% and 6.78% is dedicated to mixed and
achieved the optimal level number of intersections (101.67), commercial land uses, respectively. The lack of consistent
and lies in the mid-range, (between 60 and 80 points) with 75 and diffused mixed-use impacts on an uneven distribution
points in land allocated to streets. Tabuk allocates 28.59% of of commercial services and public facilities, affecting aspects
its land to streets, which is close to the average of 27.8% for of socio-spatial inequality and polarisation and hinders the
Saudi cities. While the average street width for Saudi Arabia is overall socio-economic performance of the city. According
15.5 metres, Tabuk has the widest streets in the Kingdom at to UN-Habitat’s International Standards,23 a prosperous city
18.7 metres, which is indicative of the widespread existence has to allocate at least 40% of floor space for economic
of large boulevards, highways, and avenues, mostly designed and commercial uses, including residential areas, therefore,
for private vehicles. promoting mixed-use development. This model stimulates
local jobs, promotes local economic opportunities, and helps
Currently, no rail services are connecting Tabuk; however, to reduce socio-spatial inequalities.
there is a proposed network foreseen to link the city to Al
Jouf, (Skaka), 430 kilometres towards the East, and to Jeddah, The land use plan, which covers an area of 44,284 hectares,
about 1,000 kilometres South. The historic Hejaz Railway filling up, and in some parts even exceeding, the 1450 UGB,
infrastructure is still present and visible, both within the city and with an overall increase of 31,714 hectares in comparison
beyond; however, the remaining infrastructure is not currently with the current land use area. The land use plan is dominated
being utilised, and as a tourist attraction, only a few parts and by residential land use, which occupies 33.45% of the total
a recently restored historic station are open. The Hejaz rail area, and equal to 14,813 hectares. This is followed by
network connected Damascus, Syria, and Madinah through governmental institutions at 26.99%, or 11,951 hectares, and
Tabuk, and it was last operated in the early 20th century. public facilities at 0.65%, or 290 hectares. Proportionately, the
amount of land dedicated to the proposed land use speaks to
The City Prosperity Index (CPI) report on Tabuk (2016) ranks an increased urban sprawl, especially because of the spatial
Urban Mobility as ‘Weak’; (at 55.8%) and suggests addressing distribution of these new residential areas, together with
the issue through a public mass transport system, and a well exacerbating the tendency to expand the city, following a
structured and attractive pedestrian realm, in order to reduce pattern dominated by large monofunctional areas.
over-dependence on private cars even for short distances.
While there is also no public transportation network available The city should revise this foreseen land use planning approach,
at present, there is a plan to develop a future public transport promoting a correct mix of commercial, residential, and mixed-
network formed by a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and a feeder-bus use areas as the city grows, while devoting special attention
system. to increasing the allocation of both agricultural fields and
open public spaces. Comparing the current and future land
4.2.3 Existing and proposed land use use plans, agricultural and green open spaces, already scarce
patterns in the central areas, appear to have been proportionately
reduced. In order to be a competitive, attractive, sustainable,
Land use is categorised according to different socio-economic balanced, and livable city, and to capitalise on its climatic and
activities occurring in a particular area, the human behaviour topographic conditions, Tabuk needs to enhance and increase
patterns they create, and their effects on the environment. its green open spaces correctly, allocating and aligning their
Land use provides direction and guidance on how the city provision to the city’s growth.
functions. Land use planning refers to the process by which
institutions decide where, within their territory, different socio-
economic activities such as agriculture, housing, industry,
recreation, and commerce should take place.

The current land use Plan for Tabuk covers an area of 12,570
hectares with development mostly concentrated within the
4,200 hectares circumferenced by the Ring Road. The largest
land use is currently registered at the airport, with an area of
3,890 hectares, equal to 30.95% of the total land use area.
Residential land use stands at 18.59%, or 2,337 hectares,

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 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

Residential
Commercial
Mixed-use
Industrial
Agriculture
Public facilities
Warehouses
Parking area
Open spaces

Fig. 30. Existing land use

4.1%

19.8% 61.4 %

0.57%

7.3%
5%
0.78%
0.75%

Residential
Commercial
Mixed-use
Industrial
Agriculture
Public facilities
Warehouses
Parking area
Open spaces

Fig. 31. Proposed land use in the Tabuk Plan (2013)

59
 TH E CURR ENT CITY

4.2.4 Vacant land

Within Tabuk’s Ring Road, where the largest part of the city’s However, most of this remanent spaces have issues over
built fabric is concentrated, there are 5,206 hectares of available legal versus tribal ownership, which has ceased activities and
vacant land; over a total area of about 14,316 hectares. This maintenance, enhancing, therefore, a state of abandonment.
vacant land within the Ring Road can be categorised as areas The city needs to develop comprehensive strategies for the
that are completely vacant, (3,096 hectares) and as areas that strategic development of the vacant land under the guiding
are underdeveloped, (2,110 hectares) a combination that principles of increased density and providing public spaces.
offers a great deal of opportunity to infill and densify. Any This will ensure the gradual and planned densification, and
future developments should first focus on developing the appropriate expansion of Tabuk, consolidating a more efficient
available vacant land, instead of spreading to the edges of and sustainable form that better performs in terms of land use
the city and beyond, falling into the category of urban sprawl. and high-density distribution, accessibility, and connectivity.

UN-Habitat’s 5 Principles for Sustainable Urban Development24 4.2.5 Accessibility to urban cores and
state that compact cities should aim at developing the facilities
recommended density of 150 p/ha. According to this parameter,
if UN-Habitat’s recommended density is applied to the present Drivability
conditions of available urban space, the current amount of In order to test the overall accessibility to the core of the city by
vacant land within Tabuk could inhabit up to 780,900 people. car, a study of movement dynamics was performed, assessing
At the current growth rate, this amount of land would take the percentage of population within a 15 and 30-minute
approximately 30 years to fill, bringing the total population to driving distance. The central area was identified based on
1,475,000 inhabitants concentrated within the Ring Road. density, and concentration of commercial and public facilities,
corresponding with the older part of the city. The result of the
Extensive portions of vacant land, equal to 29,483 hectares analysis shows that the city has good vehicular accessibility,
also exists beyond the Ring Road but within the 1450 UGB. with 596,100 residents, or 85.8% of the population, that can
This represents an oversupply of land that will lead to extensive reach the city centre within 15 minutes. Additionally, 680,507
sprawl and inefficiencies. Therefore, future development residents, or 98% of the population, can reach the centre
should be restricted to within the Ring Road where ample within a 30-minute drive. These high percentages of vehicular
vacant land is available for development. accessibility are indicative of the robust road network available

Undeveloped land within 1450 UGB

51% 37%
21,137 ha 15,360 ha

12%
5,206 ha

Vacant land within the urban footprint

36% 64%
5,206 ha 9,110 ha

Undeveloped land within 1450 UGB

Vacant land within the urban footprint
Built-up area

Fig. 32. Vacant land and undeveloped areas

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 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

7.8% (54,139p)
of the population reside within
5-minute walking distance
from city centre

14.5% (100,740p)
of the population resides within
10-minute walking distance
from city centre

5-minute walking distance

from Metro Line 1

10-minute walking distance

from Metro Line 1

Fig. 33. Walking accessibility to commercial city centre

85.8% (596,100p)
of the population reside within
5-minute driving distance
from city centre

98% (680,507p)
of the population resides within
10-minute driving distance
from city centre

5-minute driving distance

from Metro Line 2

10-minute driving distance

from Metro Line 2

Fig. 34. Drivability to commercial city centre

61
 TH E CURR ENT CITY

in the city. It should be noted that these numbers do not reflect especially referring to healthcare. The walkability analysis
considerations related to congestion, traffic congestion, and shows that within the built-up area, 73% of the city’s residents
waiting time, or environmental impacts. (equal to 509,084 people), can access educational facilities
within 10-minute walking distance. Also, healthcare facilities
Walkability located within the built-up area can be accessed by 51% of
Though the road network extension in Tabuk is consistent, the residents, or 354,132 people, within a 10-minute walking
the pedestrian connections remain insufficient. To evaluate distance. It is recommended to evaluate the distribution of
the dynamics of accessibility to the main commercial core healthcare facilities to align with population density. All public
by walking distance, a similar analysis was run considering a facilities should also be linked or located in proximity to the
five and ten-minute distance accessibility range. The analysis public transportation network.
shows that, in reference to access to the main commercial
center, overall walkability is currently a challenge for residents, 4.3 Assessment of Future Plans
where only 54,139 residents, corresponding to the 7.8%, can
access the commercial centre within a five-minute walk Only 4.3.1 Tabuk Local Plan
100,740 residents, or 14.5%, can access the commercial area
within ten minutes. This analysis denotes that the city needs to The city of Tabuk, in collaboration with a local engineering
emphasise on expanding pedestrian networks and pedestrian- consultant, had developed two scenarios for the Local Plan.
friendly routes. Proper urban design and architectural The city approved Scenario Two, as the basis for the Local Plan.
interventions need to target the enhancement of urban
walkability, through elements such as shading, greenery, wide The proposed plan, acting at a high strategic level, showcases a
sidewalks, and active and lively streets supported by mixed-use clear urban structure based on a central mixed-use commercial
activities. spine, identified in the plan as the city center. The city centre
spine runs from the airport in the Southeast through the city,
Similarly, the accessibility of public facilities, consisting of towards the Northwest edge of the 1450 UGB. The city centre
educational and healthcare, was examined. The analysis is supported by a land use distribution mixing residential,
of their distribution-pattern shows that facilities are well business district, government facilities, regional services,
distributed in the older areas and over the commercial centre and investment parks. A large industrial area is located on
located on the East side of the Ring Road. However, there the Northeast side of the 1450 UGB. Previously military land
is a lack of facilities to the West and beyond the Ring Road, located in the city centre will be converted into a business

Health facilities

Educational facilities

Fig. 35. Distribution of public facilities

62
 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

35.4% (246,125 p)
of the population reside within
5-minute walking distance
from healthcare facilities

50.9% (354,132 p)
of the population resides within
10-minute walking distance
from healthcare facilities

5-minute walking distance

from Metro Line 1

10-minute walking distance

from Metro Line 1

Fig. 36. Accessibility to healthcare facilities

67.3% (467,418 p)
of the population reside within
5-minute walking distance
from educational facilities

73.3% (509,084 p)
of the population resides within
10-minute walking distance
from educational facilities

5-minute walking distance

10-minute walking distance

Fig. 37. Accessibility to educational facilities

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 TH E CURR ENT CITY

district and residential land-use. According to Scenario Two a comprehensive public transport system, consisting of two
of the Local Plan, all the military land is located outside of the light-rail lines and three bus lines, which should be integrated
1450 UGB, South of the airport, whereas a smaller portion of with the regional and national rail network. These initiatives
military land is located North of the airport. denote a step in the right direction, as not only will the public
transport support a more sustainable urban development, but
A critical review of the Local Plan highlights two major points it could also potentially be a catalyst for the re-activation of
that need to be considered in its implementation and the parts of the historic Hejaz rail network.
next phase. First, though there are large zones of preserved
agricultural land within the Development Protection Boundary, Light Rail
there is a consistent lack of green, open spaces permeating According to the plan, two lines will form the Inner City Light
the city. The plan preserves the wadi or the blue network Rail, Line 1 (Red Line) and Line 2 (Green Line). Line 1 and 2 will
but does not call for a strong and interlinked green network intersect at a central location where an intermodal exchange
permeating the city. terminal will be located, providing integration amongst
alternative modes of transportation as it will also work as a bus
The second point to be considered is the preservation of terminal. Both the proposed light rail lines have been analysed
lands between the Development Protection Boundary and the by UN-Habitat to assess the population access to the respective
1450 Urban Growth Boundary. Scenario Two suggests future stops within walking distance, once they are implemented:
residential and industrial land-uses, as well as another Ring
Road in this zone. This goes against the primary function of • Line 1 will be 28 kilometres long with five stops, running
the Development Protection Boundary, which is to manage in an East to West direction on the Northern edge of the
development and prevent sprawl or unplanned city extensions King Faisal Ring Road. It’s Eastern terminal is planned on
beyond the foreseen UGB, thereby, protecting and preserving the 1450 Urban Growth Boundary, with the line then
key ecological assets and agricultural land. moving westwards, along King Faisal, till the regional
rail terminal, with the intention of offering intermodal
4.3.2 Public transport accessibility analysis connectivity. The analysis of accessibility to the five stops
indicates that only 0.07 % of the residents, equal to 489
As previously stated, there is no public transportation people, will have access to these stops within a 5-minute
service currently available in the city. However, the Tabuk walking distance, and 0.7%, equal to 4,720 inhabitants,
Local Plan highlights a proposal for the implementation of within a 10-minute walking distance.

1.7% (11,838p)
of the population reside within
5-minute walking distance
from healthcare facilities

4.5% (31,409p)
of the population resides within
10-minute walking distance
from healthcare facilities

5-minute walking distance

from BRT

10-minute walking distance

from BRT

Fig. 38. Accessibility from proposed LRT stops by Amanah

64
 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

• Line 2 will be 32 kilometres long with seven stops, running been analysed by UN-Habitat, in order to assess the population
in a North to South direction. Its Southern terminal will access to the respective stops within walking distance:
be on the edge of Tabuk Airport, adjacent to the historic
urban center, while its Northern terminal will be located on • Line 1 will cover the central commercial district, reaching
the edge of the 1450 UGB. The analysis of accessibility to out to the densest parts of the city. In its full extension,
the seven stops indicates that only 16% of the residents, the line will be serving approximately 16% of the total
equal to 11,349 inhabitants, and 3.8%, equal to 26,689 population, equal to 112,290 residents;
inhabitants, will have access to these stops within a 5 and • Line 2 will cover the industrial district, connecting the
10-minute walking distance, respectively. regional train station and passing through low-density
areas. This line, in its full extension, will be serving
When combining the two tram lines, approximately 1.7% of approximately 1.8% of the total population, equal to
the city’s population, (11,838 inhabitants) will have access 12,817 residents;
within a 5-minute walking distance, while 4.5% of the city’s • Line 3 will cover the University District and will serve
population, (31,487 inhabitants) will have access within a approximately 4.2% of the population, equivalent to
10-minute walking distance. 29,557 residents.

These pedestrian accessibility numbers are substantially low, Even with all of t three bus lines combined, only 12% (84,891
indicating an unbalanced cost-benefit ratio in relation to the inhabitants) of the population will have access, and even then
investment needed to implement the light rail system. only within a 5-minute walking distance, and 22.3% (154,664
inhabitants) will have access within a 10-minute walk.
Bus Network
The bus network proposed for the city is composed of three Assessment of proposed transportation systems
lines: Line 1 (Red Line), Line 2 (Purple Line) and Line 3 (Blue Overall numbers appear to be very low concerning pedestrian
Line). These three lines combined cover the city in all directions, accessibility to both the light rail system and bus network.
from the centre to the edges of the 1450 Urban Growth Nevertheless, having a public transportation initiative is a
Boundary. As per the light rail lines, the bus network has also positive step for the future development of Tabuk and its

12.2% (84,981p)
of the population reside within
5-minute walking distance
from bus stops

22.3% (154,664p)
of the population resides within
10-minute walking distance
from bus stops

5-minute walking distance

from Bus Line

10-minute walking distance

from Bus Line

Fig. 39. Accessibility from proposed bus stops by Amanah

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 TH E CURR ENT CITY

citizens quality of life. A few recommendations, based on the 61 p/acre,

performed analysis, can help improve efficiency of the system 3. Mixed land use: At least 40% of floor space should be
and enhance the proposal before it is implemented: allocated for economic use in any neighbourhood,
4. Social mix: The availability of houses in different price
Light Rail ranges and tenures in any given neighbourhood to
• For the improvement of efficiency and accessibility of the accommodate different incomes; 20% to 50% of the
light rail system, further analysis should be conducted on residential floor area should be for low-cost housing, and
the two proposed light rail lines to address the following each tenure type should be not more than 50% of the
recommendations: total,
• Line 1 is on a very inefficient path and its possible 5. Limited land use specialisation: This is to limit single
relocation should be further studied; and function blocks or neighbourhoods; single function blocks
• Line 2 could extend into the area of Tabuk Airport, should cover less than 10% of any neighbourhood.
functioning also as an airport shuttle service.
Current Condition
Bus Network The current population of Tabuk amounts to 694,384 people
• Efficiency and capillarity of the three proposed bus lines spread across a built-up area of 15,360 hectares. This generates
could be improved by taking into account the following a population density of 45.2 p/ha, which is just above the
considerations: recommended UN-Habitat density of 150 p/ha. A population
• Current bus line routes are linear, and routes should be density of 45.2 p/ha, which is just above the recommended
designed to serve on a loop, as this is an efficient design UN-Habitat density of 150 p/ha.
strategy since loop-routes serve a higher number of users
and allows different bus routes to overlap for better Scenario 1: The Tabuk Plan
transfer options; The current annual population growth rate is 2.5%, and by
• Ensure routes penetrate neighbourhoods instead of being 2030 Tabuk’s population is projected to grow to approximately
routed on the edges, which increases walking distance 950,000 people. In parallel, the total amount of planned
for users; developable land within the 1450 Urban Growth Boundary
• In the denser urban fabric, where the streets are narrower, is approximately 44,245 hectares. Based on the projected
implement smaller feeder buses that can navigate and population for 1450 (equivalent to 2030), spreading the
serve the district; thus reducing walking distance for population growth over the foreseen land to be developed
users, especially in the commercial centre and university would result in a density of 21.4 p/ha, dramatically decreasing
district; and the already low urban density for Tabuk, indicating an
• Consider the possibility of extending bus lines 1 and 2 to inefficient and sprawled development pattern.
connect them with the Tabuk Airport.
Scenario 2: UN-Habitat Recommendations
4.3.3 Density scenario analysis The UN-Habitat scenario supports sustainable neighbourhood
planning for Tabuk, promoting an increased density of 150p/
Crosscutting the diagnosis of the current urban conditions ha in line with the average UN-Habitat recommended density.
and the approved/submitted projects proposals, UN-Habitat Based on this recommendation, it would only take an area
operated a scenario-analysis for increased urban density, of 1,700 hectares to accommodate the same amount of
according to various choices. The scenarios depict three population for the year 2030 (255,616 people); an area that
conditions: the current situation, the situation developed in is equivalent to 1/10th of the developable land area available
line with the approved planning instruments, and a situation within the 1450 UGB. The projected population increase could
where density distribution is allocated following the City be comfortably accommodated within the existing built-up
Profile’s recommendations, and based on the UN-Habitat area by utilising the vacant land available. By considering
standards. the 5,206 hectares of available and developable vacant land
within the existing built-up area, this scenario shows that it is
The UN-Habitat scenario is based on the Five Principles for not necessary to grow outside the current footprint. Instead, it
Sustainable Neighbourhood Planning, which are as follows: suggests strategic interventions and supports policies that will
1. Adequate space for streets and an efficient street facilitate the densification of existing urban areas, providing
network: The street network should occupy at least 30% citizens with maximum benefits for an improved quality
of the land and at least 18 kilometres of street length per of life, and a more affordable infrastructure provision and
square kilometres, management for the municipality.
2. High density: At least 15,000 p/km², that is 150 p/ha or

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 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

CURRENT CONDITION

population 694,384
built-up area 15,360 ha
average density on
built-up area 45.2 p/ha

SCENARIO 1: THE TABUK PLAN

population 950,000

planned built-up area 188,978 ha

average density on
planned built-up area 5.56 p/ha

SCENARIO 2: UN-HABITAT RECOMMENDATIONS

population 950,000
built-up area needed
according to UN-Habitat
recommendations 6,333 ha
vacant land needed
to accommodate 1,700 ha*
population growth

average UN-Habitat
recommended density 150 p/ha

*1/10th
of the developable land within the 1450 UGB

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 TH E CURR ENT CITY

4.4 Environmental and Climate Change

Risks Implication

4.4.1 Loss of freshwater and aquifer

pollution

The climatic conditions in Saudi Arabia result in water scarcity, with wadis and the changing rainfall pattern, is resulting in hazardous
an availability of less than 1,000 cubic metres of water per person flash floods during extreme precipitation events. The city suffers from
per year, and reduced green cover. The environmental features flooding in large areas during the rainy season,27 especially in January,
previously described coupled with the unsustainable urbanisation and mainly along the wadis since they are the natural water pathways. The
inadequate infrastructure are putting pressure on the already limited Tabuk Local Plan identifies urban development encroachment over the
water resources. Due to this constraint, a big percentage of water wadis as the main source of flooding.28 To better understand how the
consumption comes from desalination plants. However, it is important city and its inhabitants relate to the natural water systems and how
to notice that in Saudi Arabia more than 80% of greenhouse these are affected, the wadis were mapped in relation to the existing
emissions come from the energy sector, out of which desalination and future built-up areas of Tabuk. Since no detailed study on flooding
processes represent 12% of CO2 emissions.25 Shifting current growth in the city is available, an impact analysis based on a 100 metres buffer
trends and consumption patterns in order to incorporate natural water zone from the waterways was developed. The analysis showed that
features and ecosystems dynamics is fundamental to make better use flash floods heavily impacts 10% of the existing built-up area and
of existing resources and prevent pollution. 40% of existing roads. Equally, if no resilient plan is put in place, around
30% of future development will also be affected. In order to prevent
Current patterns are affecting renewable water resources per capita, this from happening and reduce the impact of floods, the secretariat
which are dropping at an annual rate of 2%.26 In Tabuk, though of the Tabuk Region is working on improvement projects, some of
no permanent water bodies exist, integrating wadis into the urban which are to be implemented in Tabuk’s valleys. The most relevant
realm has the potential of replenishing water into the aquifers. On the strategies that will allow for better resilience are related to protection
contrary, the urban area is waterproof due to impermeable surfaces of wadis aimed at avoiding their encroachment, increasing the
and canals that direct the water out of the city. In this process, water is permeable surfaces to reduce water accumulation and allow filtration,
usually polluted, having a negative impact on the soil, the aquifers, and and developing a green public space network, both on existing vacant
the sea it flows to. The impermeabilisation of the urban area, including land within the urban fabric and for the future urban areas, that can
floodplains, coupled with the location of the city in a valley among be deployed as a water management system. Along with stormwater

Built-up at flood risk

Future development at flood risk
Built-up area
Proposed developments
Existing roads at flood risk
Existing road network
Wadis
Wadis buffer zone 100m
(to be determined by flooding analysis)
Sewage treatment plant
High slope
1450 UGB

Fig. 40. Water and sewage management

68
 T H E C U R R E N T CI TY

management, sewage management is also a big challenge for the city, which have proven to be inefficient in such climatic conditions,
due to the negative impact that the sewage treatment plant is having due to high evapotranspiration levels, which further impacts the
on the aquifers as a result of its location. The natural slope on which loss of freshwater. It is recommended to shift to more sustainable
the city lies on heads towards the Northeast. As such, the existing practices, such as drip irrigation systems, which can save up to one-
sewage treatment plant was constructed to the Northeast of the city, fourth of water in comparison to surface irrigation.29 This general
to benefit from the natural slope in designing the network. However, misuse of water prevents the maintenance and enhancement of
the plant wasn’t appropriately built, leading to many environmental green infrastructure, such as parks, tree canopies, green plazas,
problems, in terms of groundwater pollution and the bad smell that etc. Extending and incorporating green networks within Tabuk’s
permeates the city. Considering that new developments are planned fabric would positively affect the urban microclimate, reducing high
to extend towards the sewage treatment plant location, improving its temperatures that climate change and development of concrete and
functioning is a key matter. tarmac surfaces have caused. These green spaces could become the
infrastructure through which rainfall water is managed, allowing to
4.4.2 Loss of agricultural land and be used for irrigation, while also enabling stormwater to filter back
inconsistent green network to the soil. This new articulated network could also become the
backbone through which public transportation and non-motorised
Traditionally, agriculture developed along the wadis make use of mobility are enhanced, resulting in a reduction of pollution from
the scarce sources of water. Still, large areas of agricultural land are current transportation modes, which currently accounts for 21%30
currently at risk due to the growth of the city. The newly planned areas of CO2 emissions. Potential to use existing vacant land within the city
for Tabuk have been mapped along with the existing productive plots, and especially along the wadis, for the development of a consistent
showcasing how new development is not respectful or integrating and capillary network of green public spaces exists. If this green
agricultural land. This implies that the majority of this valuable land network is linked to the blue network of wadis and natural water
is at risk to a change in land-use. In addition, it appears that large channels, it would improve the overall urban resilience to floods
parts of the agricultural areas are irrigated through sprinkler systems, while enhancing the quality of public space and walkability.

Agricultural land at risk of

encroachment
Agriculture -
sprinkler system
Sustainable agriculture -
drip system
Potential green areas

Pasture
Wadis
Wadis buffer zone 100m
(to be determined by flooding analysis)
High slope
1450 UGB

Fig. 41. Blue and green networks

69
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 5 STRATEGIC DIAGNOSIS

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 STR ATEGIC DIAGNO S IS

5.1 Identifying and Defining Main Strategic Issues

The in-depth, evidence-based analysis brought to light three main strategic, interrelated issues highlighting Tabuk’s
performance in relation to the principles of sustainable urban development. These issues represent the strategic framing of
a complex diagnosis, synthesised through three conceptual lenses. The lenses, once defined in their conceptual nature, were
then contextualised by examining how they manifest spatially in Tabuk, at different scales. They are synthesised as follows:

5.1.1 Unbalanced growth and development 5.1.2 Divisions and lack of cohesion in city
patterns structure

Spatial patterns are defined by structural elements, fabric In cases of unbalanced growth, sprawl, and inharmonious
morphology, and density distribution, and are highly influenced development, forms of non-contiguous and non-cohesive
by land use policy. Inherently, a coherent land use policy city structures tend to co-exist, without integration. Pockets
influences spatial patterns by determining the appropriate of leapfrog development are widespread. Undeveloped land,
amount of land needed to accommodate future growth and overdimensioned infrastructures and/or large extensions
by distributing urban functions and densities accordingly. The of monofunctional developments, hinder the continuity
combination of these attributes can either generate urban of the city’s fabric, and therefore, its social, economic, and
quality or create and increase urban issues such as sprawl. ecological performance. As in cases of sprawl, this renders
This often happens when a city grows rapidly, presenting the equal provision of infrastructure and services to the entire
an extended sprawl phenomenon, and inharmoniously city difficult and costly. The fragmentation phenomenon also
manifesting unbalanced developments across its territorial spatially affects the social dimension of sustainability, creating
extension. Dysfunctionalities emerge in appropriate urban urban inequalities and segregation in areas that lie at a distance
management and citizens experience. In this scenario, the to the largest hubs, and become isolated by a discontinuous
city showcases low density and does not perform effectively, urban landscape.
its services and facilities are not well balanced in distribution
and accessibility, and therefore citizens do not equally benefit Fragmented cities tend to exhibit a presence of residential
from the advantages of urban life. Additionally, it is costly and estates in the city outskirts, either as high-income gated
difficult for the municipality to provide and maintain basic communities or as low-cost housing enclaves, built separately
servicesor efficient and sustainable infrastructure, such as and far from shopping and commercial facilities, industrial,
public transport. This is an inherent issue in conditions of sprawl business, and directional centres, and recreational areas. This
and low density as water, sewage, electricity and transport adds to fragmentation and unsustainable urban patterns, as
infrastructures require extension over longer distances to reach large highways are often the only viable means of connectivity
relatively fewer people. As such, the significant amounts of over long distances, resulting in car-dependency and high
land per capita that urban sprawl tends to consume, requires mobility costs. As such, a city’s spatial patterns can influence
larger capital investments for infrastructure installation and socio-spatial connectivity, and increase travel time, and
increasing maintenance costs. The current development trends congestion. People’s ability to move from their homes to their
in Tabuk tend to reproduce disperse patterns of low-density workplace, shops, school, and health centres is essential for a
and monofunctional land-use, with scarce provisions for social city’s performance and needs to be considered both in terms
activities and both empty interstitial spaces and large areas of distance and comprehensive fabric connectivity. If there are
of vacant land between existing portions of the consolidated many physical barriers to walk and traverse the city, the city
city. The tendency toward sprawl in requires urgent address becomes inaccessible to its inhabitants. A well-connected urban
in order to halt progression of the condition, which is heavily fabric supports public transport and decreases congestion by
affecting the city’s functionality by reproducing unsustainable increasing the overall accessibility. In well-articulated, dense,
development patterns of unbalanced growth at low-densities. and cohesive urban areas, congestion is reduced, while social
and economic vibrancy is increased.
Unbalanced Growth and Developmet Patterns Division and Fragmentation

1 UNBALANCE GROWTH AND

DEVELOPMENT PATTERN
[ SPRAWL ]
2 DIVISIONS AND LACK OF COHE-
SION IN THE CITY STRUCTURE
[ FRAGMENTATION ]

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 S T R AT E G I C D I AG NO SI S

5.1.3 Socio-ecological and economic

imbalance

Each city is formed by complex social, economic and ecological

systems. In a sustainable city, the balance between these three
interrelated systems is maintained and enhanced over time. If
any one system is given continued preference over the others,
over time, a structural imbalance will emerge that alters the
sustainable trajectory of the city’s growth and development. A
socio-ecological and economic imbalance is also created when
planning decisions for the city fail to consider preservation and
management of existing natural resources, or the functional
value of natural assets and their territorial continuity. Planning
processes and spatial development practices that incorporate,
for instance, integrated water-resource management, natural
cycles, and more broadly, functional ecosystem services, are
often undervalued by local municipalities all over the world.
Socio-ecologically unbalanced urban systems result in a
number of threats to the environment, to overall urban quality,
and to the health of citizens. Unsustainable consumption
patterns, pollution, loss of biodiversity and of agricultural
soil, pressure on ecosystems, as well as increased subjection
to natural and manmade disasters, are examples of these. All
of these conditions additionally carries heavy effect on the
economic performances of a city, that can become increasingly
clear over long-term observation.

Unbalanced Socio-Ecologocal and Economic Systems

3 SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL AND
ECONOMIC IMBALANCE
[ LACK OF RESILIENCE ]

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 STR ATEGIC DIAGNO S IS

5.2 Analysing Tabuk’s Three Issues in Depth

5.2.1 Tabuk’s unbalanced growth and

development patterns

Recent developments in Tabuk are pushing away from the risks will potentially be worse due to the future development
city centre towards the edges, expanding against the 1450 envisaged by the Tabuk Plan, which extends and fills up the
Urban Growth Boundary. The sprawled development is mostly area between the Ring Road and the 1450 UGB.
occurring towards the North of the city center, beyond the
Ring Road, leaving consistent portions of vacant land in Considering the Future Land use Plan, this covers an area of
between the new development pockets. 44,284 hectares, filling up and in some parts exceeding the
1450 UGB, with an overall increase of 28,924 hectares, in
This growth pattern is defined as leapfrog development and comparison to the current built-up area. This amount of land
uncontrolled sprawl, becoming an obstacle for the efficient speaks to an increased urban sprawl, especially because of the
use of land, and affecting delivery capacity for infrastructure spatial distribution of the new residential areas, exacerbating
and transportation services. Urban sprawl causes inefficiency the tendency to expand the city, following a pattern dominated
in urban management and an elevated financial cost for the by large monofunctional areas.
government in terms of delivery of infrastructure and public
services. In a sprawled city, the cost of providing access to Tabuk would need to counteract this sprawling and unbalanced
electricity, sewage, and clean water by the municipality is growth pattern by strategically densifying within the existing
higher than in a compact city. Maintenance capacity is also footprint, as there are currently more than 5,200 hectares
affected as infrastructure is more widespread. of vacant land within the Ring Road that could be used to
incrementally consolidate and densify the city. This means that
Ultimately, low density of population does not compensate the there is considerable potential for infill densification strategies,
costs through an ordinary revenue system. As such, as these rather than promoting new developments away from the
areas are a distance from the consolidated city, they place a consolidated city, and satellite developments beyond the 1450
strong economic pressure on the municipality to provide and boundary.
maintain the necessary infrastructure to support them. These

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Sprawl development along Tabuk’s edges

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 S T R AT E G I C D I AG NO SI S

Vacant land within consolidated city Proposed development outside 1450 UGB
Developed land within urban footprint
Major urban axes
Proposed development within 1450 UGB
1450 UGB

Fig. 42. Tabuk’s unbalanced growth and development patterns

75
Division and Fragmentation

STR ATEGIC DIAGNO S IS

5.2.2 Divisions and lack of cohesion in

Tabuk’s urban structure

As an effect of the leapfrog development described above, The quality and character of the public realm adjacent to these
Tabuk’s urban structure is defined by the lack of a cohesive and oversized infrastructures do not support a pedestrian-friendly and
well-integrated urban fabric. Isolated development beyond well-connected urban fabric.
the built-up area appears as a series of disconnected patches.
These patches are generally monofunctional lacking a variety of One such example is King Abdulaziz Road, a major corridor in the
programs, and if not completely vacant, are often defining big heart of the city that is approximately eight kilometres long. Within
cuts and disconnections in the urban fabric, as is the case of the its entirety, there is only one dedicated pedestrian crossing at the
National Guard reserve land. Other times they are internalised in Railway Park. Another issue regarding infrastructure in Tabuk and
their structure and layout and do not respond to the surrounding many other Saudi cities are dead-end roads. Road patterns are not
context, often lacking connectivity of the street grid with the continuous to allow free flow of traffic. Many minor roads either
neighbouring areas, as the university campus. Further, with 5,206 terminate in a dead-end, rather than connecting to other minor or
hectares of available vacant land within the Ring Road, the issue major roads, defining a disconnected and maze-like road network,
of disconnectedness is reinforced, resulting in an urban form that which occurs at all the scales of the city, from neighbourhood to
reads like a patchwork of developments lacking contiguity and major crossings.
continuity. In addition, a series of structuring elements, like the
over-dimensioned road infrastructures increase divisions across A further element that reads as a division in the urban fabric,
neighbourhoods and in the overall city’s fabric. because of the lack of integration with it, is the Wadi network.
While the system of wadis is potentially a valuable natural feature
These elements define discontinuity in the urban fabric at for enhancing the quality of the urban environment, it is currently
various degrees, characterising Tabuk’s urban landscape with performing like a major divider of the city’s fabric. The edges are
an environment that lacks a dense, continuous urban fabric treated with concrete and metal fences, limiting accessibility, natural
and the appropriate connectivity at the human scale. Large- functionality, and creative and diversified uses of the wadi space.
scaled infrastructure, such as highways and major transportation While it should be noted that the municipality is currently creating
corridors, do not support the principles of a human-scaled walkable parks and open green areas on the edges of the wadi system, it
city. They are frequently over-dimensioned without any proper is also important to note that this is not sufficient as an approach
pedestrian crossing points and surrounded by large superblocks. to better integrate the natural features into the urban fabric.

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Overdimensioned road infrastructure in Tabuk

76
 Division and Fragmentation

S T R AT E G I C D I AG NO SI S

High density area

Low density area

Fig. 43. Divisions and lack of cohesion in Tabuk’s urban structure

77
Unbalanced Socio-Ecologocal and Economic Systems

STR ATEGIC DIAGNO S IS

5.2.3 Socio-ecological and economic

imbalance in Tabuk

Tabuk has a lack of green open spaces within the overall Additionally, networks of small, distributed parks and
existing urban fabric, and especially in the city centre. The few greenways should be introduced and connected to each other,
available green open spaces are developed along transport axes as well as to the wadis; relinking green and blue networks
and are far from the active parts of the city, and disconnected between the built-up areas and the large wadi system, This
from the neighbourhoods. In addition, these few existing could be done by selectively converting available vacant land
green spaces, are not connected amongst them; missing the within the built-up areas into green open spaces and linear
chance of forming a consistent green network across the city. parks serving the community. Along these parks and green
connectors, pedestrian-scaled commercial activities and
From a social point of view, the uneven distribution of green various social infrastructure can be introduced. This would
open spaces highlights spatial inequality, reflecting scarce configure a complex socio-ecological and economic network,
accessibility of most citizens to open public and green spaces, working as a comprehensive system.
therefore, unequal allocation of green infrastructure across
the city. Overall, protection and integration of natural resources in the
planning of the city should be considered a priority, and all
The wadi system forms the largest natural feature in the new developments should occur with respect for the local
city. Wadi Dabaan crosses the city centrally, while Wadi Abu ecology of Tabuk. The wadis, the watersheds, the green
Nishfah and Albaar are adjacent to the ring road towards East networks, and public spaces, represent a potential source of
and West, respectively. economic growth and social development for the city. A green
economy approach could provide a useful framework whereby
In 2011 a park along Wadi Abu Nishfah was developed; the decisions and actions promote resource efficiency, effective
Prince Fahd Bin Sultan National Park, located at the edge environmental management, and a better standard of living
of the consolidated city, far from the inhabited areas and for residents.
cut from the main city by the large ring road. The park is
wedged between King Faisal Road and Wadi Abu Nishfah
with no direct pedestrian connection to the urban fabric and is
currently only accessible by private vehicle. Overall, the entire
wadi system lacks integration with the urban fabric, including
Wadi Dabaan, which sits within the built-up area. This typifies
an overall attitude that does not envision the wadi system as a
social, economic, and ecological driver for the city.

Current analysis shows that some parts of the city are exposed
to flooding, especially along Wadi Dabaan, located within
the urban fabric. While the central wadi system presents
an opportunity to form a structure of open spaces, flood
management strategies should be developed to mediate and
reduce flood risk. Furthermore, an assessment of possible
negative impact is recommended to understand how the
existing sewage treatment plant may affect the aquifers, and
a close-by reservoir, located approximately 23 kilometres North
of the city centre, and which is a primary water source for the
city.

78
 Unbalanced Socio-Ecologocal and Economic Systems

S T R AT E G I C D I AG NO SI S

Agricultural land
Risk area
Green network
Wadis
Sewage treatment plant Roads at flood risk
Built-up area Road network
Proposed development 1450 UGB

Fig. 44. Socio-ecological and economic imbalance in Tabuk

79
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 6 THE FUTURE CITY

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

6.1 Strategic Responses

After performing a strategic diagnosis, and identifying three main issues affecting the urban development of Tabuk, three
strategic recommendations were identified in response. Akin to the three strategic issues, the above-mentioned three strategic
recommendations define the conceptual framing for a systemic and strategic level of solutions. Once defined in their conceptual
nature, they are developed into a more detailed description, spatially interpreted and contextualised in Tabuk, at the various scales.
This is followed by a roadmap to implementation, in the form of an articulated Action Plan.

6.1.1 The Compact City 6.1.2 The Connected City

According to the UN-Habitat principles, cities need to encourage The New Urban Agenda asks cities to commit to creating
spatial development strategies that take into account, as access to public spaces, public transport, housing, education
appropriate, the need to guide urban extension, prioritising and health facilities, public information, and communication.
renewal by planning for the provision of accessible and well- The Connected City is envisaged as a continuous, well-
connected infrastructure and services, sustainable population connected, and well-balanced network of neighbourhoods,
densities, and compact design. They must consider integration each with parks and public spaces, and accommodating a
of new neighbourhoods into the urban fabric, in order to diversity of overlapping private and public activities, shaping
prevent urban sprawl and marginalisation. UN-Habitat principles a healthy and vital urban environment. The street network
emphasise the relationship between urban form and sustainability, has a major role in shaping the urban structure which, in
asserting that the shape and density of cities have implications for turn, sets the development patterns and scales for blocks,
the sustainable use of resources into the future, and quality of connective nodes, buildings, open spaces, and landscape.
life for citizens. Strong arguments have emerged to promote the This involves development of a well-organised street hierarchy
Compact City as the most sustainable urban form. A Compact with arterial routes and local streets that is based on different
City is envisioned as a high-density urban settlement, characterised modes of transport and traffic speeds, acting as connectors
by mixed-use development, recognisable, dense, and revitalised that should be considered both in terms of accessibility
central areas, with well-distributed services and facilities (hospitals, and of social interactions. In this scenario, public transport
parks, schools, leisure, and entertainment). Establishing spatial can provide fast cross-town connections linking public
and legal mechanisms, to consolidate a Compact City, should areas and functional cores of the city to the surrounding
increase accessibility and walkability, therefore increasing use of neighbourhoods. Most importantly, these neighbourhoods in
public transport and public space, reducing congestion, boosting turn, should provide opportunities and conveniently located
the local economy and increasing interactions across society. facilities that are accessible locally by the community, which
Policies to promote urban compaction involve the promotion of in turn reduces the dependency on private vehicles. In large
urban regeneration, the revitalisation of town centres, restraint cities, mass transit systems can provide high-speed, cross-town
on development in rural and peripheral areas, promotion of travel by linking one neighbourhood centre with another,
higher densities and mixed-use development, promotion of public leaving local distribution to local systems and foot traffic.
transport, and the concentration of urban development at public This reduces the volume and impact of traffic, which can be
transport nodes. In this scenario, a vibrant street life encourages calmed and controlled, particularly around the public cores
people to walk or cycle more, and the high-density and mixed- of neighbourhoods. Local trains, light railway systems, and
land use developments will, in a sensible way, encourage a social electric buses become more effective, and as a result, cycling
mix who will enjoy close proximities to work, home, and services. and walking become more pleasant. Moreover, congestion
Walkability helps to reduce automobile reliance, thus alleviating and pollution are reduced drastically, and a sense of security
congestion, air pollution, and unnecessary use of available natural and conviviality in public space is increased.
and financial resources.. In addition, compact urban development
aims to preserve land resources and natural assets, while increasing
the efficiency of public infrastructure and transportation services.
A compact built form, supported by an efficient public transport
backbone, offers opportunities to increase densities, protect
environmental resources, and enhance accessibility to the central
area for all residents.

1 THE COMPACT CITY

[ CONSOLIDATE ]
2 THE CONNECTED CITY
[ RE-STITCH ]

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

6.1.3 The Resilient City

A Resilient City takes into consideration appropriate built

form and physical infrastructure to increase resilience to
the physical, social, and economic challenges that arise
from depleting carbon-based fuels and climate change.
As such, a Resilient City can be defined as a sustainable
network of physical systems and communities,31 in which
physical systems consist of both the constructed and
environmental components of the city. They include roads,
buildings, physical infrastructure, communication facilities,
soils, topography, physical features, geology, waterways,
population density, etc. In sum, the physical systems act
as the body of the city, its bones, arteries, and muscles.
Resilient cities as explained by Godschalk (2003)32 are cities
which are capable of withstanding severe shock and stress
without either immediate chaos/damage or permanent
deformation or rupture. These cities are designed in advance
to anticipate and recover from the impacts of natural or
technological hazards. According to the New Urban Agenda
(NUA), cities need to ensure environmental sustainability by
promoting clean energy and sustainable use of land and
resources, protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, promoting
sustainable consumption and production patterns, reducing
disaster risks, as well as mitigating and adapting to climate
change. These elements amount to resilience. The NUA
states that cities need to invest in the generation and use
of renewable and affordable energy, and sustainable and
efficient transport infrastructure and services. This will
provide benefits of connectivity and reduce the financial,
environmental, and public health cost of inefficient mobility,
congestion, air pollution, noise and urban heat island effects.
Alongside this, a Resilient City also supports and is mutually
supported by its territorial ecosystems, activating positive
urban metabolism mechanisms, ensuring a reliable resource
supply and balanced value chains.

3 THE RESILIENT CITY

[ PROTECT & IMPROVE ]

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

6.2 Appropriate Models for Tabuk’s Urban

Development

6.2.1 The Compact City: Consolidating

Tabuk’s development and densifying
centres

The first strategy focuses on counteracting sprawl by transport routes, towards the inner parts of the city. This will
concentrating all new developments in and around the existing also allow for the creation of new mixed-use centers around
urban fabric, thereby compacting city developments to an the main public transport nodes, that are supported by an
optimum level. This would help in progressively compacting appropriate population density.
the city’s fabric, allowing for increased density and a more
sustainable urban form. There are several perceived benefits of These measures will relieve the city from the pressure of providing
the Compact City over urban sprawl, which include: an extended network of infrastructure to sprawling, scattered,
new development areas, while providing opportunities to
• Less car dependency thus lower emissions; redirect the investments on improvements and upgrades to the
• Reduced energy consumption; existing urban fabric in order to accommodate the increased
• Better public transport services; density within a more compact and efficient city. In the long
• Increased overall accessibility; term, this will be cost-effective, making infrastructure efficient,
• The re-use of infrastructure and previously developed land; reducing resource-consumption, and reducing costs for the
• A regeneration of existing urban areas and urban vitality; overall city’s functioning.
• A higher quality of life, the preservation of green space, and;
• The creation of a milieu for enhanced business and trading
activities.

The first strategy for a sustainable Tabuk concentrates on the

importance of limiting urban sprawl beyond the ring road, while,
in parallel, reducing the fragmentation of the city’s fabric. This
can be achieved by firstly increasing density within the built-up
areas, pushing for the development of vacant land both within
the existing urban fabric and within the Ring Road. Currently,
there are 5,206 hectares of vacant land available within the ring
road. Considering the UN-Habitat recommended density of 150
p/ha, this amount of land could accommodate an additional
780,900 inhabitants.

As mentioned in chapter 4.1.2, another relevant issue impacting Limiting urban sprawl beyond the ring road, and
increasing density within the built up areas.
urban sprawl is the underdeveloped land, of which there are
approximately 2,110 hectares within the Ring Road and to the
West of the urban core. If redeveloped at the UN recommended
densities, this amount of land has the potential to accommodate
an additional 316,500 inhabitants. This means that Tabuk has
many opportunities to consolidate and densify its urban form
and structure, and have consistent capacity to host its expected
population increase within a new compact urban system.

Accordingly, appropriate incentiìves and regulations should

be set in place and enforced with the goal of prioritising the
development of residual vacant land, discouraging the practice
of land-banking by enforcing existing White Lands policies.

In addition, appropriate densification policies should be set,

in parallel with the implementation of a new public transport
system (see chapter 6.2.2), prioritising strategic densification Reducing the fragmentation of the city’s fabric by
along its routes and nodes. This will promote and improve pushing for the development of vacant land both
within the existing urban fabric.
incremental densification based on the TOD principles, where
high-density urban growth will be prioritised along the public

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

Undeveloped areas
* City centre
Airport
Vacant land for densification within the Ring Road
Military
Expansion area for future development (2nd phase) University
Undeveloped areas outside the Ring Road Industrial

Fig. 45. The Compact City: Consolidating Tabuk’s development and densifying centres

85
 TH E FUTUR E CITY

6.2.2 The Connected City: Linking Tabuk

through public transport

The second strategy addresses Tabuk’s need to revert the divided

urban structure and reduce spatial fragmentation, granting a more
diffused accessibility to all its citizens. Dismantling the spatial divisions
in the city is an incremental process, involving the phases of analysis,
understanding, and actions, defined by a careful mix of sectoral and
area-based evaluation and implementation tools. However, and more
importantly, a new mindset that values public transport needs to be
promoted in the city. Future growth policies and plans will need to
follow this new mindset through a strong normative framework, with
attention to the principles of sustainable development.

Transportation lines
This means that to heal the city of its fractures and disconnections, the Define transportation lines along major axes
municipality needs to develop adequate urban design guidelines that
support densification and compactness while shaping a pedestrian-
friendly, walkable and well-connected, human-scaled environment.
In parallel, the road network should be redefined in size and scale,
switching from an automobile-oriented transport network to a more
public and pedestrian-oriented one. In order to rebalance the ratio
between public/private mobility, the redefined road system will need
to be complemented by a well-integrated public transport system
that is multimodal, integrated, and capillary. In this scenario, the
public transport network should act as a backbone for the definition
of new centralities with different roles, to be formed around inter-
modal nodes. With such a system in place, it will be easier to limit the
cost of movement for residents, discouraging cost-ineffective private
mobility, increasing walkability, improving access to opportunities, and
enhancing socio-economic interactions across the city.

Two main public transport routes can be developed in Tabuk to match

the vision outlined above; King Khalid Road, connecting the airport in
the Southeast to the industrial zone towards the Northwest, as already
Nodes
envisaged in the transport plan; and King Fahad Road, connecting Consolidate and densify land uses
the University in the Southwest to the Military base in the Northeast, along major nodes
following the revised route proposal by UN-Habitat for improving the
proposed public transport plan.

Lastly, the same voids and cuts that now define the fragmented
urban fabric of Tabuk can also be considered a resource in terms of
available space for public services. A new network of public spaces and
green infrastructure systems should be set in place, to take advantage
of these residual spaces. Part of the available vacant land should be
used to relink detached neighbourhoods, provide public spaces and
establish lively commercial areas, (e.g., open-air souqs) along the
new public transport routes and nodes, with the goal of promoting
walkability and creating a system of small public spaces and active
areas across the city.

Following the principles of the New Urban Agenda and its

implementation, there is a strong need to promote safe, inclusive,
accessible, green, and quality public space, including streets, sidewalks,
and cycling lanes, squares, gardens and parks, that are multifunctional
areas for social interaction and inclusion, human health, and well- Transversal network
Create a secondary network for improved
being. These spaces can play a fundamental role in fostering economic accessibility
exchanges and cultural expression, as well as connectivity and social
inclusion.

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

* City centre
Primary public transport lines + Primary nodes Airport
Secondary public transport lines
Secondary nodes Military
Extension of public transportation
for future development Transit nodes University
Industrial

Fig. 46. The Connected City: Linking Tabuk through public transport

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

6.2.3 The Resilient City: Rebalancing

Tabuk’s socio-ecological and economic
systems

This strategy aims to promote the development of urban spatial

frameworks that support sustainable management and the
use of natural resources and land, appropriate compactness
and density, polycentrism and mixed-uses, including urban
planning and design instruments. This can be achieved through
infill or planned urban extension strategies, as applicable on a
case by case criteria, that are able to trigger economies of scale
and agglomeration, strengthening planning for sustainable
development, enhancing resource efficiency, urban resilience,
and environmental sustainability.
Socio-ecological & economic systems
As such, an urban structure that aims to balance aggregated The agricultural farmlands, wadis and the
public green space networks represent a
demand for economic, social, and institutional spheres needs potential source of economic growth and social
to incorporate: development

• The ecological dimension - to provide a healthy and

natural productive environment;
• The economic dimension - to contribute to economic
progress in the sense of prosperity and sustainable
resource management;
• The social dimension - to provide for prosperity and
equitable social opportunities;
• The institutional dimension - to contribute to conducting
socio-ecological systems towards sustainability through
participatory governance, (IRF 2015, 2013).

Within this framework, the wadi system, the agricultural land,

and green networks represent a potential source of economic
growth and social development, which can help to regenerate
damaged urban ecosystems.
Blue and green network
Along these lines, green and blue networks should be There are many potential places for the
development of public space network along the
considered as a structuring element, integrated to the urban wadi, some of them are alocated for agricultural
fabric, and developed as socio-ecological infrastructure able uses.

to perform multiple functions, from stormwater management

to food production, and public space provision. Re-linking
the city and the wadi system through green networks and
corridors would improve accessibility and the quality of
public life while reconnecting the urban ecological systems
to the wider territory and surrounding landscapes. Using
ecological networks as a natural infrastructure for stormwater,
agriculture and urban open spaces would improve the city’s
environmental conditions while providing new economic
opportunities, from environmental and cultural tourism to
urban farming. Lastly, integrating public transport and green
networks would create a pleasant, pedestrian-friendly public
realm, optimising ecological and economic benefits of public
transport investments.

Wadis
Using the wadis as new green public spaces,
could help to redefine new socio-ecological
infrastructure for the city

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

* City centre

+
Intersection of green areas and blue network
Boulevards
Airport
Potential places for the development of public space network
Transversal green network connection Military
Blue network
Green network along wadi Built-up area University
Industrial

Fig. 47. The Resilient City: Rebalancing Tabuk’s socio-ecological and economic systems

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 TA BUK STR ATEGIC DIAGNOS IS

6.3 Vision for a Sustainable Tabuk

Tabuk is a city rich in history; from the Prophet setting foot To enact this vision, which aims to trigger an incremental
on its soil in the early days of Islam, to eventually becoming a but radical urban transformation process, it is necessary to
gateway settlement for pilgrims arriving from the North. Tabuk translate the four conceptual recommendations into a logical
also demonstrates influences from the Ottoman Empire, traces and framed system of actions that sets clear priorities and
of which still exist today. Since then, Tabuk has been growing builds on endogenous potential and competitive advantages.
and developing into a modern secondary city, and hence, As such, the Vision capitalises on the strengths and
Tabuk has great potential to reconcile its glorious past with a opportunities present in Tabuk, to develop diverse and
bright and sustainable future. inclusive economies with job opportunities for all, vibrant
and sustainable communities, and efficient and resilient
The three strategies proposed for Tabuk are aligned with the infrastructure. The actions are discussed in detail in Chapter 7.
visions and goals of the New Urban Agenda and based on
the three dimensions of sustainability. As such, the overall
vision that emerges from the combination of the four strategic
recommendations aims at structurally changing Tabuk’s
urban form in order to achieve the following three aspects of
sustainability:

• Securing social equity in the distribution of wealth and

social services (social sustainability);
• Keeping a stable economic growth while restructuring
the productive system, in order to save resources and
energy (economic sustainability); and
• Maintaining safe and comfortable living environments
through lower emissions and opting for ecological
restoration and complex socio-ecological infrastructure,
that can devise basic services innovatively, (environmental
sustainability).

© sauditourism

People playing the traditional songs

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 © Bader Alanazi

Diverse terrain in Tabuk

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

6.4 Strategic Impact of the Vision on Urban

Patterns

The vision laid out for Tabuk in the preceding text has direct corridors by re-aligning land uses within a 10-minute walk
and tangible impacts on the spatial organisation of the city. from the rail stops, and the development parcels adjacent
The outcome of the strategic recommendations based on to the main street Light Rail lines can significantly transform
transit-oriented development principles can be assessed using the urban structure. As shown in figure 51, the new corridors
the same methodology that was used to analyse the current should focus mainly on commercial and mixed land uses
conditions. The text and maps discussed in the sections below along these transportation routes to maximise their use and
illustrate the impact of this vision on the density, land use, increase accessibility. The primary node at the intersection of
productivity, and accessibility of Tabuk. the Light Rail lines would become the focal point of activity
and multi-modal transport connections. Drawing from studies
Land Use and guidelines on sustainable urbanism, the breakdown of the
As previously mentioned, Tabuk has a proposed public land use assigned to this new, dense corridor is 60% mixed-
transportation system that includes a Light Rail network, use, 20% commercial, and 20% residential. Accordingly, the
consisting of two lines, and a three-line Bus network. While UN-Habitat proposed redistribution of land use suggests a
the bus network has a wide reach, the Light Rail lines help substantial increase in mixed-use, from 3.9% (487 hectares)
structure the city by creating prominent and accessible to 9.8% (1,308 hectares), which means an increase of over
North-South and East-West axes. While UN-Habitat suggests 150%. In parallel, an increase in commercial land use from
rethinking the location of Line 1, as densifying along these 1.5% (184 ha) to 3.6% (478 hectares) should also occur.

Fig. 48. Current land use

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

18.3 % 16.7%
Residential
Commercial
Mixed-use
11.8% 11%
46.3% 41.8% Industrial
Recreation

3.9% Public facilities

9.8%
Government

5.3% 5%
12.9% 1.5% 3.6%
12.1%

Fig. 49. Current land use and UN-Habitat proposal for new land use (%)

Fig. 50. UN-Habitat proposal for new land use

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

Density
The new land use designations along the two Light Rail lines Figure 53 shows the density distribution under the proposed
can accommodate and support a higher-density of residents, scenario, with an average of 150 p/ha, along the transit
providing walking access to public transport. If built to its corridors. The highest intensity of activities is concentrated
maximum potential, as per the UN-Habitat recommended on these corridors, bringing about economic vibrancy and
density of 150 p/ha, the corridors can accommodate up to improved accessibility, as well as improved quality of life.
1,113,776 people within a 10-minute walking distance
catchment area, providing a better and more serviced urban Even with more conservative estimations, this area, enriched
environment, and therefore, discouraging new developments with new developments on the vacant land, and with increased
outside the current footprint. density in other parts, can comfortably accommodate the
proposed population of 1,113,776 in the next 19 years.
Figure 52 shows the current population density distribution
that averages 45.2 p/ ha. With the proposed mix of land
uses, and UN-Habitat recommended density, the average rises
to 72.5 p/ha, a 27.3 p/ha increase, which seems reasonable
within the Kingdom for a city the size of Tabuk.

Fig. 51. Current distribution of population density

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

Average current POPULATION DENSITY on built-up area

42.5 p/ha
Average proposed POPULATION DENSITY on built-up area

61.8 p/ha
Average POPULATION DENSITY in transit corridor 0 - 50 p/ha
50 - 100 p/ha

150 p/ha
100 - 150 p/ha
> 150 p/ha

Fig. 52. UN-Habitat proposal for distribution of population density

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

Productivity
Access to jobs is a pivotal factor in the future growth and 10-minute walk corridor along the two metro lines. Thus, for
economic development of a city. The current land use allotment twice the increase in population, the estimated increase in jobs
and the population distribution across the city of Tabuk can is 2.5 times.
help estimate the number of jobs, which is a critical indicator
of the spatial representation of economic opportunities. With Job accessed by walking
greater access to jobs within close distances, the productivity While the total number of jobs in the city increases at a rate
of residents increases, as they spend less time on daily higher than the population growth rate, the spatial distribution
commutes and more time in productive work. Economic of these jobs is a critical factor in planning for future growth of
opportunities attract businesses and talent, which contribute the city. The map in figure 54 represents the number of jobs
to the competitive advantage of the city. accessible within a 10-minute walk from different city regions.
More jobs are concentrated in certain parts of the city, which
The productivity analysis is based on a few assumptions, which reveals and corroborates a trend discussed in the land use
assign a certain number of jobs per square metre of a built- section, with a distinct core in the centre of the city that has
up area for each land-use. While this assumption is broad a higher percentage of mixed land use, with some clusters in
and an approximation, it helps to understand the trends of the South and the North, which show greater access to jobs.
job distribution in the city and reveals the inequities and gaps As expected, the farther extents of the city, which are majorly
in their spatial distribution and access. The total jobs in the residential, have a low job density and hence lower access to
city at present is at 22 jobs per 100 residents. This number jobs.
increases to 30 jobs per 100 residents in the proposed scenario
by simply densifying land use and building heights within a

Fig. 53. Current job accessibility within a 10-minute walk

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

The proposed land use scenario for Tabuk will increase the Jobs accessed
NUMBER within
OF JOBS 10 minute
ACCESSIBLE
number of jobs accessed within a 10-minute walk from walk
WITHIN per person
A 10-MINUTE WALK

different city regions. In the new scenario, each person can 2500

access 1,500 more jobs within a 10-minute walk anywhere 2000

in the city. Focusing on creating opportunities within the
1500
urban footprint by filling in the gaps and densifying existing
developments along the North-South and East-West axes will 1000
increase access to jobs by more than 200%, (see figure 54).
500
Redistributing land-uses by ensuring a balance of commercial,
mixed and residential land use, will improve the spatial 0
1 2
distribution and access to jobs across the city. Current Proposed

JOBS
4000 - 15000
2000 - 4000
1000 - 2000
400 - 1000
200 - 400
0 - 200

Fig. 54. UN-Habitat proposal for job accessibility within a 10-minute walk

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

Jobs accessed by public transport

The proposed ram lines, with the current land use pattern and
distribution, give access to 30% of all jobs in the city to people
residing and working within a 10-minute walk buffer and
assuming a 20-minute metro ride. With the current density
and distribution of land use, the public transportation system
will not be successful as it would struggle to serve a large
percentage of the population.

Densifying and changing land use along the 10-minute walk

catchment area from the tram stations after re-aligning the
second tram line through the centre of the city, significantly
increases the number of jobs accessed, increasing access
to 70% of all jobs within the city. The exact proportion of
jobs added along these corridors will vary based on the
density and distribution of land uses during implementation.
However, developing along the guidelines mentioned in this
document will ensure that the city benefits from the economic
advantages of bringing people together and connecting them
via public transport.

Fig. 55. Current job accessibility from tram stops

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

JOBS
30% 70%
8000 - 50000
30%
4000 - 8000
2000 - 4000
1000 - 2000
500 - 1000
0 - 500
70%

Fig. 56. Current and proposed job accessibility from tram stops (%)

Fig. 57. UN-Habitat proposal for job accessibility from tram stops

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

Jobs accessed by driving

Job distribution is calculated by estimating a certain number of (figure 60). This statistic endorses the need to supplement this
jobs per square metre of the built-up area for each land-use. reduction in the number of jobs accessible by car by putting
As shown in figure 59, about 71% of all current jobs in the a public transportation system in place as the city grows. The
city can be accessed within a 20-minute drive from anywhere public transportation system will increase the total number
in the city, which is quite high compared to other cities in the of jobs accessed when all modes of transport are considered
Kingdom. This analysis is dependent on the even distribution together.
of land use and the road network itself. This means that
central locations have a greater reach to jobs within the city.
Tabuk is well-connected by roads, but poorly connected by
public transit in the current state.

As the population increases and with a denser distribution

in the city center, the access to jobs by road should increase.
However, with an increase in the number of people on the
current road network, the travel speeds would reduce due
to congestion. This is a fair assumption, as trends worldwide
indicate that growing cities witness increased congestion and
an overall reduction in travel speeds. Hence, the number of
jobs accessed by car within 20-minute will reduce to 41%,

Fig. 58. Current job accessibility within a 20-minute drive

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

PERCENTAGE OF JOBS ACCESSIBILITY

WITHIN A 20-MINUTE DRIVING DISTANCE
71% 41%
80%-100%
60%-80%
59% 40%-60%
20%-40%
10%-20%
0%-10%
29%

Fig. 59. Current and proposed job accessibility within a 20-minute drive (%)

Fig. 60. UN-Habitat proposal for job accessibility within a 20-minute drive

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 TH E FUTUR E CITY

Accessibility
As a consequence of the new land use designations, and the Densifying along these corridors will not only improve
higher-density along the two Light Rail lines in Tabuk, the accessibility and increase density for a more sustainable urban
accessibility to public transport would significantly improve. form, but it will also create a coherent and comprehensible
As such, the increase in density would provide access to public structure for the city of Tabuk, that is currently plagued with
transportation to a greater number of residents, giving them a fragmented pockets of sprawling developments. As illustrated
choice to switch to more sustainable travel modes and making in the sections above, the proposed scenario brings together
the municipal investment for providing public transport more spatial planning policies, urban mobility and economic
efficient. development in Tabuk. By densifying and developing along
mobility corridors, the total number of jobs in the city and the
With the new distribution of land uses and updated density access to opportunities increases and the overall social and
levels, the population captured within a 5-minute walk to economic well being of the city benefits from agglomeration
the Light Rail stations would shift from 1.7%, or 11,838 advantages.
inhabitants, to 47.2%, or 524,960 inhabitants. Similarly, the
population captured within a 10-minute walk would shift
from 4.5%, or 31,409 inhabitants, to 65.9%, or 734,032
inhabitants. Movement within the city would be more
efficiently managed, serving a higher number of people, while
reducing congestion, and pollution.

Fig. 61. Current accessibility within a 10-minute walk from tram stops

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 T H E FU T UR E CI TY

4.5% 35.1%

5-minutes walking distance

from LRT stops

10-minutes walking distance

from LRT stops
95.5% 65.9%

Fig. 62. Current and proposed accessibility within a 10-minute walk from LRT stops (%)

Fig. 63. UN-Habitat proposal for accessibility within a 10-minute walk from tram stops

103
104
7
7 ACTION PLAN

© Saudi Press Agency

 A C TION PLAN FOR TABUK

7.1 From Strategy to Action

Transforming conceptual recommendations into concrete Overall, the Action Plan creates impact at two scales: the
and implementable strategies requires detailed actions urban and the neighbourhood scale. Action 1 addresses
that can trigger the envisaged spatial, economic, and social the need for restructuring the city’s development around
transformations. An Action Plan that is rooted in the four an efficient public transport system. Action 2 focuses on
strategic recommendations and serves to guide future the neighbourhood scale, through surgical densification on
planning efforts to ensure a vibrant and prosperous Tabuk. available vacant land, and the concentration of mixed-use
developments around main transportation nodes. Action 3
The Action Plan comprehensively addresses the needs of builds broad conditions for a socio-ecological rehabilitation
Tabuk, touching upon all elements of the city structure. It of the city’s natural elements, framing the wadi network as
supports the consolidation of development to create a compact the main green infrastructure, interlinked with the overall built
and integrated city, helps directing investments in new fabric. It is also accessible and supported by the two major
infrastructure to improve connectivity, and lays out a blueprint transportation corridors while linking it to a widespread green
for future growth, as well as suggesting legal and financial network made of smaller open and green public spaces at the
frameworks that support these transformations. Although all neighbourhood scale.
three strategic actions target specific interventions, they work
collectively towards achieving the overarching vision for Tabuk:

• ACTION 1: Create a public transport backbone to support

densification;

• ACTION 2: Promote strategic densification around main

nodes and along the transportation network;

• ACTION 3: Create a diffused and well integrated blue and

green infrastructure system.

© FSCP

Vibrant street in Tabuk

106
 © Saudi Press Agency

Iconic mosque in Tabuk

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 A C TION PLAN FOR TABUK

7.1.1 Action 1: Create a public transport

backbone to support densification

The first action addresses the need to restructure the city create transversal links. With the feeder system serving at the
starting from its mobility patterns. Embracing the proposal intermediate level (distribution at the neighbourhood scale), a
for a new public transportation system, Action 1 guides coherent, intermodal, and capillary public transport network
priority setting for its phased implementation, suggesting an will drastically increase and improve the connectivity across the
amendment on the proposed transport that prioritises citizens city. Smaller block sizes with frequent public transit stops will
accessibility within the existing city. This integrated multi- ensure all scale connectivity and encourage a shift from private
modal transport network will be able to expand the reach of modes of transport to public ones.
the public transit system and make the city structure more
navigable. Furthermore, it sets the preconditions for promoting
an incremental increase of urban density and the creation of
new centralities around the emerging major transport nodes.
If correctly designed, with attention to a pedestrian-friendly,
green, pleasant streetscape, supported by mixed-use and
served by public transportation, this new system will improve
walkability and generate economic and social vibrancy across
the city. As such, Action 1 can be summarised in the following
steps:

1.1 Develop a primary public transport North-South

spine along King Khalid Road, connecting the airport,
the city center, and the military base
The first step concerns the implementation of the proposed
Tram Line along King Khalid Road. This new public transport
line will connect the city centre to the airport on the
Southeastern part of the city, extending towards the ring
road on the North-West, which marks the edge of the built-
up area. The transformation of King Khalid Road into a new
public transport spine will offer incentives to increase density
along the new corridor by developing mixed-use typologies
and concentrating a variety of services and facilities along the
new spine.

1.2 Develop a transversal East-West public transport

spine along King Fahad Road, connecting the
University Campus and the city center
In line with the previously proposed variation of routes for the
second, transversal public transport spine, King Fahad Road
will need to be transformed into the other major transport
spine, connecting the University Campus to the city centre by
crossing the city on the East-West direction. The Tram Line 1
(Red Line) will be running along King Fahad, crosscutting Tram
Line 2 (Green Line) in Tabuk’s most populated area. The main
public transport system would cover most of the city, linking
its nerve points, and offering a viable alternative to private
vehicles and a solid anchoring system to support a progressive
densification.

1.3 Develop and link a secondary public transport

network (feeder bus) across the city
Over time, while urban densification and compactness
processes move forward, (see Action 2) these two main spines
will need to be supported and linked to a more capillary public
transport system. As such, a bus feeder network will need to

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 A C T I O N P LA N FO R TAB UK

* City centre
Primary public transport lines + Primary nodes Airport
Secondary public transport lines
Secondary nodes Military
Extension of public transportation for
future development Transit nodes University

Industrial

Fig. 64. Create a public transport backbone to support densification

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 A C TION PLAN FOR TABUK

7.1.2 Action 2: Promote strategic

densification around main nodes and
along the transportation network

Following the implementation of a public transportation 2.3 Incrementally develop available vacant land within
network, the city should start actively promoting transit-oriented the current built-up fabric
development (TOD), and incentivising residential densification To complete the strategic densification process, developable
in the areas with walkable access to public transport. Strategic vacant land within the built-up area should be incrementally
densification should be applied to selected major nodes to turned into dense and compact mixed-use developments, with
define emerging new centralities by incentivising mixed-use the goal of accommodating growth within the consolidated
development and concentrations of services and facilities city structure. Density should be allocated taking into account
around them, also targeting incremental infilling of available the public transport infrastructure, following the criteria of
vacant land. This should all be complemented with the creation maximising residential access within a 10-minute walking
of public spaces and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, defining catchment area from public transport. In parallel, part of the
an urban environment that is pleasant and rich in activities. For available vacant land should be kept as public, open, green
example, Tabuk is currently transforming part of Al Amir Fahd space and other special functions supporting a rich and
Ibn Sultan Road into a solely pedestrian promenade and Action vibrant public realm. Complementing the pedestrian-friendly
2 builds on this approach and proposes new complementary environment with a series of open-air souqs along King Fahd
functions to enrich the social life of the renewed public realm. Road would expand the network beyond the city center. Three
This will help to establish a pedestrian-friendly environment possible locations were identified for this purpose: one on
that promotes walkability and create a network of well- the Southwest side, at the crossing between the university
connected open spaces that support the density of people and campus and the Ring Road, a second one mid-way between
functions. Action 2 can be summarised in the following steps: the university campus and the intersection of the two major
public transport spines, and the last one on the Northeast side,
2.1 Develop a hierarchy of mixed-use nodes at strategic between the city centre and the Ring Road.
points along the public transport system
Some intermodal stations and other main stations of the public
transport network will have to incrementally be consolidated
into new mixed-use nodes, with a high residential density.
Main mixed-use nodes should be developed at major
intermodal intersections, including entry and exit points of
major urban roads, acting as entry/exit gateways to the city.
Secondary nodes should be distributed following the criteria
of rebalancing access to services, facilities, and jobs across
the city. The nodes will need to become a hierarchically well-
structured system of sub-centralities, equipped with a variety of
programs. This will help in establishing a clear urban structure,
able to support strategic densification and compaction while
maximising a diffused accessibility to services, facilities, and
opportunities.

2.2 Promote strategic densification along the public

transport system (TOD)
The consolidation of mixed-use nodes will need to be followed
by the intensification of mixed-use development along the
public transport backbone. The transportation corridors are
the most suitable to support a variety of high-density, mixed-
use typologies, following the criteria of having a high number
of people within five to ten-minute walking distance to public
transport connections, granting easy access to public facilities
and amenities. This will increase the efficiency of public
transport and encourage walkability, alleviate traffic, and
pollution by reducing the dependence on private vehicles. This
incremental, strategic densification, embedding the principles
of transit-oriented development, will help to develop a more
sustainable, vibrant, and livable Tabuk.

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 A C T I O N P LA N FO R TAB UK

High density / mixed-use developments

* City centre
Open-air souq
+ Primary nodes Airport
Primary public transport lines
Secondary nodes Military
Secondary public transport lines
Transit nodes University
Extension of public transportation
for future development Industrial
Fig. 65. Promote strategic densification around main nodes and along the transportation network

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 A C TION PLAN FOR TABUK

7.1.3 Action 3: Create a diffused and well-

integrated blue and green networks

Action 3 aims to make the city more resilient, more more vibrant. At the same time, increasing green areas will
sustainable, and enjoyable for its residents. Wadis, green open help to reduce heat island effects across the urban fabric while
areas, and agricultural land define networks of green and improving the ratio of green open space per capita.
blue elements. If preserved and extensively interlinked, the
blue and green networks can define a system able to perform 3.3 Complete the green network by greening streetscapes
an articulated series of ecological and social functions, from The greening of the overall streetscapes will complete a
natural stormwater management and storage, to reduction well-connected green network, linking major green spaces
of the heat-island effect, from the provision of areas for to the public transport system through tree-lined streets
urban agriculture to the supply of wide areas for recreational that encourage pedestrian mobility. Trees and plants along
and sport functions. As such, and in parallel to the strategic major and minor transportation corridors will have to be
densification process of Tabuk, vacant land will have to be chosen amongst local species, to conserve resources, and
selectively preserved for the creation of green, public space, reduce maintenance cost, focusing on shading pedestrian
especially in areas subjected to densification. Reviving the areas and waterways to reduce the heat island effect and
wadis within Tabuk’s urban footprint and integrating them into the evapotranspiration phenomena, therefore, mitigating the
the urban pattern will help to diversify the city’s economy, and urban microclimate. This will encourage overall pedestrian
at the same time serve as open spaces for residents, resulting mobility and outdoor life at the urban scale, and better protect
in significant improvements in their quality of life. In addition, the city against high temperatures and sandstorms.
the promotion of urban and peri-urban agriculture along the
wadis will gradually support the relinking of green and blue
networks, while strengthening food security, and resilience.
Action 3 can be summarised in the following steps:

3.1 Preserving and integrating the blue network to

strengthen its role as natural infrastructure
The natural system of wadis, currently neglected as a structural
element in the city’s functioning, will have to be naturalised and
strengthened, moving towards natural water management
systems at the entire urban scale, so as to play a key role in
the city’s development. Integrating the three wadis running
across the city into the existing urban fabric and developing
them into multi-functional linear parks, to be used as natural
water management infrastructure during the wet season and
having alternative recreational uses during the dry season,
is the first step in this direction. Establishing a natural water
management infrastructure by protecting and integrating the
wadis with water retention ponds and water features would
create a new dispersed system of water reservoirs to capture
the stormwater and rainwater runoff, helping to mitigate
flood-risk in affected areas and replenishing water-tables.
At the same time, repositories that are connected to water
recycling stations would complement the city’s water supply.

3.2 Create a consistent green network by using vacant

land to increase and connect major green areas
As mentioned in Action 2, part of the available vacant and
residual land should be converted into green open spaces,
parks, and parklets for public use. Transforming available vacant
lands into green open spaces linked to existing parks and open
spaces will help to expand the public green open areas into a
capillary, better connected green network, supported by small
commercial, and leisure activities along its spaces. This way
the linear parks along the wadis will be linked to a wider and
more consistent green network, becoming more accessible,
better performing in ecological and social functions, and

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 A C T I O N P LA N FO R TAB UK

Blue network
Potential places for the development of
green network Potential places for the development of
* City centre

a green corridor along the wadi Airport

Primary public transport lines
Secondary public transport lines + Primary nodes Military
Extension of public transportation for University
Secondary nodes
future development
Transit nodes Industrial

Fig. 66. Create a diffused and well-integrated blue and green networks

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 A C TION PLAN FOR TABUK

7.2 Three Systemic Actions for Structural

Change
The Action Plan presented hopes to incrementally trigger
a structural change in Tabuk, moving away from an
unsustainable model towards an integrated, ecological
framework for urban development. A sustainable city brings
together environmental, social, and economic factors, along
with comprehensive urban planning and management efforts
for a long-term sustainable society. This implies an integrated
approach to sustainable urbanisation that should be based on
a holistic view of social development, economic opportunities,
environmental management, and governance frameworks.

This integrated approach should entail the coordination of

objectives and programmes, among different city stakeholders
(e.g., citizens, government, and the business sector), as well
as the development of linkages between and within socio-
economic sectors and activities. As such, the above-described
framework of actions will drive an overall transformation on
the spatial, social, and economic fabric of the city. If the steps
illustrated in the Action Plan are followed, Tabuk will manifest
the strategic vision into a reality, making the city:

• Compact,
• Connected, and
• Resilient.

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Open spaces in Tabuk

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Sand skiing in Tabuk

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 8 FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
THE THREE-PRONGED APPROACH
8

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8.1 Spatial Recommendations

8.1.1 A strategic view of the Tabuk Region

spatial development

When framing a strategic vision for the future of the Tabuk anchored on Tabuk’s historical and cultural artifacts. Overall,
Region, the planned mega projects, like Neom City and the Red Tabuk can and should link its strategic role in the region, and
Sea Project must be considered in terms of possible impact and in the Kingdom at large, to the new opportunities offered by
opportunities. These large-scale projects can rapidly change Neom and the opening to the West that will come with it.
the landscape of the built and socio-economic environment As such, Tabuk will have the opportunity to redefine itself as
of the region. In particular, such projects tend to reshape the Gateway to Neom for the Kingdom, and as the Gateway
the city region dynamics by increasing its attractiveness and to the Kingdom for the neighbouring western countries.
competitive power, as well as by affecting its economic growth
and future development. On the other hand, these complicated
and long-term projects can face many challenges as well, like
8.1.2 Towards Tabuk, a Gateway Eco-city
economic fluctuations and shortcomings, especially when it
The strategic vision for the future of Tabuk, with the actions
comes to forecasting methods, results, and effects of political
described in Chapter 7, aims to promote the development
conditions during all phases of planning, implementation, and
of urban spatial frameworks that redistribute appropriate
operation.
compactness and density around polycentrism and mixed-
use. A more compact urban form, structured along public
Whatever the case may be, once these mega projects
transport networks, will support sustainable management of
are complete, there will be considerable transformations
natural resources and land, greening the city, and making it
in the land and housing markets of the areas close to and
more resilient, while offering opportunities for diversifying the
surrounding these projects, as well as cause changes in the
economic base of the city. Tabuk’s Action Plan illustrates basic
employment dynamics of the region, in addition to mobility
steps to trigger a structural change, activating an incremental
patterns and socio-economic settings. In order to prevent
system for spatial modifications to the fabric of the city, which
possible negative externalities, urban managers need to
will also modify its social, economic, and environmental
set up a system of policies to control the land and housing
structure. By enacting the systemic transformations depicted in
markets, ensuring appropriate construction permission and
the Action Plan, Tabuk will become more compact, connected,
coordination between users, in order to prevent undesired
and resilient.
changes in urban land-use, and cope with the other changing
urban systems in the transition period.
• Tabuk Compact City
Along the same lines, relevant authorities should reassess and A compact urban form, with mixed-use nodes, ample
develop urban and trans-urban transportation systems and public spaces, and a well-connected public transportation
infrastructure, with the goal of creating a special transportation network should create a healthy urban environment,
network between the major cities of Tabuk, Diba, and Haql, and improve the quality of life of the residents. A dense
and the proposed projects of Neom City and the Red Sea urban form should help optimise resource allocation and
project. This, together with the quantitative and qualitative equitable distribution of services, like public transportation
development of urban services, can help these cities, and the among the residents of Tabuk. Infilling the vacant spaces
city-region at large. Capitalising over these new investments with public spaces and diverse uses would help reactivate
also encourages megaprojects investors to play a positive role and connect various city centres establishing continuity
in addressing interrelated urban issues. Strengthening relevant and infusing the city with vibrancy.
infrastructure and urban services can, de facto, contribute to
the creation of new job opportunities, increasing innovation
• Tabuk Connected City
and the capacity to generate good employment opportunities
for the local population. The Strategic Vision for Tabuk envisions a public
transportation system that connects the different areas
Tabuk’s centre is located at about 140 kilometres to the future and a system of new centres in Tabuk. Concentrating new
city of Neom, a 26,500 square kilometres development where development and a mix of uses along this transportation
a planned bridge, covering approximately 20 kilometres, will spine should reduce travel times and dependence on
cross the Gulf of Aqaba, connecting Neom and the famed personal modes. The public transportation system
city of Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt, a country with a population combined with the supporting extensive road network,
of roughly 94 million. This offers Tabuk the potential and a pedestrian-friendly walking environment should
opportunity to develop its agricultural services and tourism encourage shifts in modal behaviour. The city should also
sectors. The agricultural sector has the potential to become focus on improving last mile connectivity and improving
the breadbasket for Neom, while the tourism sector will be the bus system to extend reach, access, and connections

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Blue network
Potential places for the development of
green network Potential places for the development of
* City centre

a green corridor along the wadi Airport

Primary public transport lines
Secondary public transport lines + Primary nodes Military
Extensionof public transportation for University
Secondary nodes
future development
Transit nodes Industrial

Fig. 67. Action Plan for Tabuk

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across the city. Active street life, thriving public spaces, include taxes and levies. Urban areas should be allowed to
and well-connected public transportation systems are collect some form of property taxes to fund development
crucial elements in creating vibrant urban environments. activities. The recent White Lands Act that imposes fees
on undeveloped plots in urban areas to tackle land
• Tabuk Resilient City
speculation, housing shortages, and indiscriminate land
Tabuk should pursue environmentally sustainable practices development shows that regulatory mechanisms can be
to restore and strengthen its natural assets. Protecting the leveraged to generate revenue while fostering an efficient
wadis with functional green buffers and small, diffused development framework;
water reservoirs would help adapting to climate change, • The opening of avenues for actors, including the private
mitigating flooding risks, and tackling both groundwater and voluntary sector and the general community, to
depletion and water scarcity. Responsible use and participate in decisions regarding projects that affect
management of the natural resources would help Tabuk them.
transition to a resilient and thriving urban centre while
encouraging lifestyle shifts to sustainable alternatives. Consolidation of the legal planning instruments would also
Natural systems that are integrated and protected will support development intervention in Tabuk and add legitimacy.
stimulate ecological awareness and respect among the These laws should be reviewed, intending to update and
residents to co-exist and care for the environment as an modernise, in order to bring them in line with the current
extension of their city. development paradigm. This will also give legitimacy to the
plans that Tabuk relies on. Additionally, the city of Tabuk could
The restructured urban development patterns, grounded benefit from a functional, effective legal instrument that:
in a well-distributed and efficient public transport network,
supporting a new system of mixed-use centralities will entirely • Manages scattered settlements located on agricultural
transform the way the city functions. By incrementally greening land, preserves this land use and factors these areas in
the city, re-establishing a healthy and functioning relationship the urban boundary;
between the built and the natural environments, Tabuk will • Safeguards the city’s urban identity, particularly the
enhance and rebalance the ecological, social, and economic surrounding cultural areas;
dimensions, providing a healthy and productive urban • Transfers development rights outside the city’s urban
environment for its citizens, while becoming more attractive core, particularly the significant pockets of land of the Eid
to tourism, thus, increasing job opportunities. Overall, the city Mosque and the Ministry of Defense.
will become more livable and pleasant, vibrant, and attractive.
Tabuk to be able to better capitalise on its strategic location, The lawmaking process could also be revised to limit the
at approximately 50 kilometres West of the future city Neom, number of actors. The mere existence of the laws in the KSA
and the crossroad of the centuries-old pilgrim routes from will not guarantee sustainable urban development as they
Jordan, Syria, and beyond, making Tabuk de-facto, a Gateway must be functionally effective, i.e., precise in achieving their
Eco-city, and the pulsing heart of Tabuk Region. intended results, clear, consistent, and simple to understand.
There is a need for a functionally effective urban planning law
8.2 Institutional and Legal that, inter alia:
Recommendations
• Introduces incentives/requirements that will enable more
In terms of legal reform, Tabuk would benefit from both fiscal compact city growth;
and jurisdictional decentralisation to facilitate independent • Defines clear institutional roles and responsibilities at
and innovative solutions to urban social problems, at the each level;
Amanah level. This should entail: • Enforces linkage between all levels of plans (national-
regional-local);
• The transfer of local planning power, authority and • Provides effective coordination and monitoring
function from MoMRA to the Amanah, with provision mechanisms; and
for independent action without recourse to effectively • Increases meaningful public participation and engagement
address community needs. This is supported by the New in planning.
Urban Agenda, which specifies that territorial urban
design and planning processes should be led by sub- Revising the Urban Growth Boundary Law to include clear
national and local governments, but their implementation criteria on how it is set would enhance technical and vertical
will require coordination with all spheres of governments, accountability. The Law also needs to place more emphasis on
as well as the participation of the civil society, the public establishing the Development Protection Boundary as a no-
sector, and other relevant stakeholders; development zone to not only prevent haphazard development
• Fiscal decentralisation, which gives autonomy to the but also avert private interests from taking advantage of the
Amanah to source funds to finance development laxity in the legal text. These initiatives will strengthen policy
activities. Revenue generation activities in cities may also formulation designed to make the city more sustainable,

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compact and dense. Primarily, a post-legislative scrutiny of the In addition to improving local finance and economic
urban growth boundary law should be done to assess if it has dynamism, the reforms were also aimed at supporting the
met its policy objectives. This could in turn inform the legal implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) by fostering
reform process as well as the planning policy options. inclusive, sustainable, and equitable local financial, and
economic frameworks through progressive tax policies, and
8.3 Financial Recommendations own-source revenue generation.34 One example of these
reforms is the WLT, introduced in 2015, which requires owners
of empty urban plots designated for residential or commercial
8.3.1 Own-source revenue instruments
use to pay an annual tax of 2.5% of the land value. The goal
of the WLT is to:
The geographic, cultural, social, demographic, and economic
advantages of the KSA have made it a crucial international
• Promote real estate development that addresses supply
player and economic power. Historically, oil and gas have been
shortages in the region;
the country’s primary exports, but the KSA has begun investing
• Increase the availability of land for affordable housing
in other strategic sectors of the economy.
developments;
• Safeguard competitive markets and minimise monopolistic
Economic diversification into non-fuel sectors is also supported
practices;
by Vision 2030, KSA’s development roadmap.33 One of Vision
• Increase local revenue generation.
2030’s objectives is to facilitate economic development in
new industries as well as fostering innovation and economic
Thus far, the WLT has been adopted in the cities of Riyadh,
competitiveness. One of the objectives of Vision 2030 is to
Jeddah, and Dammam and applied to 10,000 square metres of
facilitate economic development in new industries and foster
urban land. In addition to improving the own-source revenue
innovation and economic competitiveness. In part, NTP 2020
base of these three cities, reforms such as the WLT support the
was launched to build the institutional capacity needed to
framework for sustainable urbanisation introduced in the New
reach the Vision 2030 goals, including supporting economic
Urban Agenda (NUA).
growth and diversification. The NTP utilises innovative
methods to identify economic challenges, seize opportunities,
In the case of Tabuk, a policy aimed at deepening and
adopt effective planning tools, increase engagement with the
diversifying own-source revenue should consider socio-
private sector, implement reforms, and evaluate performance.
economic and demographic factors, such as the population

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Diverse terrain in Tabuk

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growth rate, population density and urban sprawl. Additionally, TH E IM PA CT OF IN FRA STRU CTU RE
policies that support agricultural land are encouraged in D EV ELOPM EN T ON LA N D VA LU E
order to protect local agricultural activities, especially in the
production of dates. Case Examples Key Findings

Taking all of these factors into consideration, financing

instruments that mobilise local revenue with an eye on the Dubai, United Arab The impact of public transportation on property
trajectory of expenditures in the long-run are crucial to Emirates values for dwellings and commercial properties is
supporting locally sustainable public finance and urban about 13 % and 76%, respectively, within an area
of 1.5 kilometres.
development. Hence, exploring own-source revenue
mechanisms through land-based taxation, among others, will
be a crucial step in achieving the goals put forth in the NTP. • Urban development that included retail
facilities resulted in a price premium of 15 –
20%
Land-based taxation is supported by a large body of evidence
Cairo, Egypt • Schools increased residential land prices by
from a diverse set of countries. In particular, capturing the approximately 13%
value created by new infrastructure projects, zoning changes, • Walkability within a residential community
and/or infrastructure upgrades, (figure 69) through land-value increases home values by up to 9%
capture has proven to be effective in mobilising local revenue.
Land-value capture is based on the idea that individuals,
Research suggests that for every additional 5
businesses, and landowners in the adjacent areas that benefit Bogotá, Colombia minutes of walking time to a public transportation
from government and/or private investment in infrastructure, station, rental prices falls by 6.8 - 9.3%
(e.g., roads, railway, industrial infrastructure, schools, and
hospitals) benefit from the land value increase resulting from Source: GVA (2018); Mohammad et al. (2017); Colliers International (2017); Rodríguez
and Targa (2004).
these types of public infrastructure projects.

Fig. 69. The impact of infrastructure development on land value

Land-based financial instruments are particularly well suited

PUBLIC PARKS DEVELOPERS &
to Tabuk where a new public transport system can support
GREEN SPACES
local government in raising both own-source revenue and the
PUBLIC COMMUNITY
density of population around the main stations.
TRANSPORTATION RETAIL
One type land-based tax mechanism is betterment levies.35
Mixed Land Use Betterment levies are effective financing instruments that
enable the cost recovery of large capital investments.
WALKABILITY SCHOOLS
Betterment levies are tailored to the type of infrastructure and
mixed land use encouraged by the sustainable urbanisation
HEALTH SPORTS
principles supported by UN-Habitat. In practice, betterment
CARE FACILITIES
levies would enable the municipal government of Tabuk to
capture a percentage of the additional value created by
public infrastructure development projects ,and land use
changes that accrue to landowners and other beneficiaries.36
Source: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (2018)

Fig. 68. Components of mixed land use Adopting and enforcing betterment levies requires that
municipalities remain transparent, accountable, and in
communication with the public regarding the use and
effectiveness of the betterment levy. In addition, local
governments should analyse the costs and the benefits of
various types of land-based financing tools. Conducting a
thorough cost-benefit analysis will enable public officials to
develop proactive solutions, anticipate potential issues and
bottlenecks, and seize opportunities. Figure 71 shows some
of the factors that local governments should consider when
conducting a cost-benefit analysis of various land-based
financing instruments.

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K EY FA C T OR S IN D E S IG N IN G COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FACTORS

B E T T E R ME N T L E V IE S IN LAND-BASED FINANCING
Determining land value capture object BENEFITS COSTS
Revenue targets based • Betterment levies are a good option for scenarios
involving public transportation and industrial - Alignment of Saudi reforms with - Effort to enable and support legal
on either (a) a percent of
New Urban Agenda (4th pillar) framework and local governance
infrastructure cots or (b) a development projects
percent of the increase in • Data on changes in land value and efficient tax - Efficient and reliable source of - Different administrative functions
land value administration are critical success factors local revenue and tasks involved

- Incentive for efficient land - Length of the start-up process

Timing and collection of payments
development and mixed land use
Payments collected:
• Consideration should be given to whether - Increased density and economic - Investment in diagnostic tools
Upfront, as with developer
there are negative financial consequences for agglomeration for land information, monitoring
contributions made before systems (e.g., fiscal cadaster), and
landowners who may not have the capacity to
the infrastructure is built data collection
pay a levy or who are asset rich, but income poor - Stimulate the development of
Annually, as with an increment
• The government might consider only requiring specific infrastructure (e.g., public - Effort needed to combine urban
to local government rates
the levy to be paid when a property is sold or transport, educational, health planning with infrastructure
At the time the property is and social infrastructure) investments
transferred
sold
- Alternative investment - Investment in capacity building
Application of the levy by land use groups incentives (e.g. PPPs) and training

- Increase in civic awareness and - Investment into communication

• The application of the levy should be determined accountability systems and civic participation
• Real estate developers
using the beneficiary-pays principle
• Commercial landowners
• If it can be demonstrated that benefits will flow
• Residential landowners Source: Farvacque-Vitkovic and Kopanyi (2014); United Nations Human
to specific types of property owners, then there Settlements Programme (2016).
is a strong case to include them in the land value
mechanism design Fig. 71. Cost-benefit analysis factors in land-based financing

Application and boundaries of levy

8.3.2 Leveraging urban productivity
Levies can be structured to In Tabuk, land value benefits are maximized for a
have a broad based (e.g. city- 1.5 kilometres area with a walking distance from Harnessing the economic and own-source revenue potential
wide) or time/distance based public transportation. of Tabuk will foster development across local industries. In
addition, investment in public infrastructure opens the door
Setting the rate to improving the accessibility, density, and mixed land use of
cities.
• The choice of rate structure will need to
The rate structure is variable
reflect the choice of who to tax and the One way in which urban productivity can be enhanced is
and is determined on a case-
revenue base selected.
by-case basis through the use of PPPs. PPPs are effective financing tools
• In Tabuk, the base is related to the
percentage of land value increase.
that facilitate public-private sector engagement. In PPPs, the
private sector can provide the public sector with much-needed
expertise in the provision of high-quality public goods and
Governance structures for land value capture services. Moreover, PPPs can help drive economic innovation
and diversification into value-added industries, improve
• Existing legal instruments that could be used for the purpose of product marketing, and reduce coordination costs among
supporting value capture tools trading partners. It is important to note here that a crucial
• Regulation of new area-specific levies associated with infrastructure
input into supporting the development of the workforce,
projects or urban planning
• Selecting the right legal instrument reduces the potential for unintended especially in specialised fields, is education.37 Sustainable
consequences urban development, therefore, must include policies that
• Lessons learned from current instruments (e.g. white land tax) can inform support public education.
the selection and implementation of appropriate legal instruments that
support land value capture instruments.
Saudi Arabia has already taken steps to support PPPs. The KSA
established a Public-Private Partnership body, the National
Source: Youngman, J.M. (1996). Tax on land and buildings. In Thuronyi, V., (Eds.) Centre for Privatisation, housed in the Ministry of Economy
Tax law design and drafting. International Monetary Fund. Washington, DC. and and Planning. PPPs in Tabuk could be a powerful financing
drafting. International Monetary Fund. Washington, DC.
tools in transportation, tourism, and industry to (1) increase
land values through development projects, (2) enhance own-
Fig. 70. Key factors in designing betterment levies

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source revenue, (3) efficiently operate and manage public correlated with the ability of officers to manage three
services, (4) create opportunities for collaboration with the strategic phases: (1) feasibility, (2) procurement, and (3)
private sector on publicly funded projects and services, and (5) delivery and monitoring.
attract national and international investment. • Using a comprehensive approach. PPPs should be focused
on linking infrastructure investment and land development
Furthermore, private capital can support cities such as Tabuk and, thus, maximising benefits that correspond with
in reaching a variety of development needs through the mixed land use.
(1) development of vacant land, (2) increased population • Generating a diverse portfolio of income streams tailored
density, (3) enhanced local revenue, (4) reduction in municipal to local needs. Indeed, sprawling and urban mobility
dependence on intergovernmental transfers, and (5) economic behaviour needs to be faced by the government for
stimulus.38 Several tax instruments are available to local the sake of increasing density and reducing the massive
governments interested in expanding own-source revenue. vehicle dependency of Saudi citizens for mobility.39 In this
Municipal governments can maximise the benefits of these tax instance, impact fees might be suitable instruments to
instruments, (especially PPPs) by: constrain sprawling, and in generating additional revenues
for local government.40 In parallel, new parking fees and
• Coordinating and collaborating with different levels of congestion fees are highly recommended to increase
government to connect national strategies with local the use of public transportation and, consequently, the
priorities. For example, establishing a local liaison office, profitability of investment for the private sector.
or a local PPP unit linked to the National Centre for
Privatization in charge of proposing, implementing, and Lastly, coordinating planning, legislation/regulatory
monitoring PPP projects. frameworks, and municipal finance is crucial to creating
• Investing in capacity building and improving tax the conditions necessary for sustainable urbanisation and
administration. The success of PPP projects is strongly economic development, as outlined in the New Urban Agenda.

CASE STUDIES AND BEST PRACTICES

WASTE MANAGEMENT CONGESTION FEES

In the Tamil Nadu State of India, a waste management project

Congestion fees reduced traffic in central London by 26%
proposed that the central government (35%) and the state
from its levels in 2002, generating £122 million net in 2006.
government (15 %) would share 50% of the total project costs.
The introduction of the Ecopass as a cordon-pricing scheme
A private entity (via a PPP) would provide the remaining 50% of
in Milan city centre has allowed the traffic to be reduced by
project funding. The private concessionaire would be responsible
16.2% in 2011. The annual revenue was €5.905 million. The
for planning, designing, building, financing, operating and
implementation of the Area Licensing System (ALS) in Singapore
maintaining the municipal solid waste management facility for the
reduced traffic volume from 12,400 to 7,300 vehicles. Revenues
concession period. Land would be provided by the municipality
from the sale of area licenses amounted to US$ 47 million.
through an annual lease, as specified by the Government of Tamil
Nadu.

PARKING FEES PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

In Vancouver, greenhouse gases emitted by the city’s landfill are

Chicago leased 34,500 curb side parking meters to the bank
managed and operated by a private company that transforms
Morgan Stanley for 75 years, trading metre revenues for an
the gas emissions into useable energy for the city. The municipal
upfront payment of nearly USD $1.16 billion. This type of PPP
government demanded that the private company selected be
contract includes a fixed schedule of metre rate increases, which
responsible for designing, building, operating and financing
raised rates two to four-fold by 2013. As a result, Chicago had
the project. Heat generated from the city’s waste has been
the highest curb side metre rates in the United States. Meters
recovered and used by village farm greenhouses to produce
were netting USD $20 million annually, while Morgan Stanley
vegetables and also to heat the landfill’s administrative and
managed pricing and maintenance of the metres.
maintenance buildings.

Source: Ernst and Young Pvt Ltd., Ministry of Urban Development of the Government of India, & the Confederation of Indian Industry. Compendium on public private partnerships in urban
Infrastructure: case studies. (2017). World Bank. Washington, DC.; Weinberger, R., Kaehny, J., & Rugo, M. (2010). U.S. parking policies: an overview of management strategies. Institute
for Transportation and Development Policy. New York, NY.; Croci, E. (2016). Urban Road Pricing: A Comparative Study on the Experiences of London, Stockholm and Milan. Transportation
Research Procedia 14, 253-262.; Phang, S., & Toh, R.S. (2004). Road Congestion Pricing in Singapore: 1975-2003. Transportation Journal, 43(2), 16-25. The Canadian Council for Public-
Private Partnerships, & PPP Canada. (2011). Public private partnerships: a guide for municipalities. The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.

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Jabal Al Lawz

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9
9 ANNEX

© SeeSaudi
 A N NEX

9.1 Picture Credits

© Alaa Othman................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

© FSCP................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

© Saudi Press agency...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

© Saudi Press agency...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

© Saudi Press Agency...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

© Saudi Press Agency..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

© SaudiArabiaTourismGuide/ Florent Egal.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29

© SaudiArabiaTourismGuide.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31

© Google Maps............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41

© SeeSaudi....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 47

© sabq.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 49
© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 51

© sabq.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 73

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 76

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 78

© FSCP.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 83

© sauditourism................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 92

© Bader Alanazi.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 93

© Saudi Press Agency.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 107

© FSCP............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 108

© Saudi Press Agency.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 109

© FSCP............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 116
© REUTERS..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 117

© FSCP............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 119

© FSCP............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 123

© Saudi Press Agency.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 127

© SeeSaudi..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 129

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 ANNEX

9.2 List of Figures

Fig. 1. Population distribution, growth rate and urban areas within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia....................................................................................16

Fig. 2. Regional Gross Domestic Product and economic sector contribution...........................................................................................................................17

Fig. 3. Transport connectivity between Saudi cities...................................................................................................................................................................17

Fig. 4. Administrative boundaries and population distribution in the governorates according to 2010 Census..................................................................18

Fig. 5. Development sectors according to the Regional Plan for the Tabuk Region..............................................................................................................20

Fig. 6. Development corridors according to the Regional Plan for the Tabuk Region...........................................................................................................21

Fig. 7. Regional land use..............................................................................................................................................................................................................21

Fig. 8. Mega-projects near Tabuk................................................................................................................................................................................................22

Fig. 9. Neom City as national scale mega-project......................................................................................................................................................................23

Fig. 10. Access and connectivity in Tabuk Region......................................................................................................................................................................23

Fig. 11. Functional connectivity in the city-region.....................................................................................................................................................................24

Fig. 12. Tourist attractions...........................................................................................................................................................................................................26

Fig. 13. Number of urban laws in KSA based on the Main Themes of Urban Planning Legislation (UN-Habitat)...............................................................30

Fig. 14. FSCP simplified representation of hierarchy of plans and the planning instruments for the city of Tabuk.............................................................32

Fig. 15. Matrix Showing the development options within the phases of the Urban Boundary in the National Growth Centres (including Tabuk)..........37
Fig. 16. FSCP simplified representation of Planning Process and Actors involved in the preparation of the Tabuk local Plan............................................38

Fig. 17. Percentage of white lands after implementation of the first phase of the White Lands Law..................................................................................40

Fig. 18. Tabuk Amanah own-source revenue.............................................................................................................................................................................42

Fig. 19. Tabuk Amanah own-souce revenue breakdown, 2017................................................................................................................................................43

Fig. 21. Budget breakdown for Tabuk, 2017..............................................................................................................................................................................43

Fig. 22. Saudi Arabia national expenditure by sector, 2016......................................................................................................................................................46

Fig. 23. Saudi Arabia national expenditure by sector, 2017 .....................................................................................................................................................46

Fig. 24. Boundaries, neighbourhoods and key infrastructure...................................................................................................................................................51

Fig. 25. Land allocated per capita...............................................................................................................................................................................................52

Fig. 26. Urban growth stages......................................................................................................................................................................................................53

Fig. 27. Administrative boundaries.............................................................................................................................................................................................54

Fig. 28. Current distribution of population density...................................................................................................................................................................55

Fig. 29. Major infrastructure and economic nodes....................................................................................................................................................................57

Fig. 30. Existing land use..............................................................................................................................................................................................................59

Fig. 31. Proposed land use in the Tabuk Plan (2013).................................................................................................................................................................59

Fig. 32. Vacant land and undeveloped areas..............................................................................................................................................................................60

Fig. 33. Walking accessibility to commercial city centre............................................................................................................................................................61

Fig. 34. Drivability to commercial city centre.............................................................................................................................................................................61

Fig. 35. Distribution of public facilities.......................................................................................................................................................................................62

Fig. 36. Accessibility to healthcare facilities ..............................................................................................................................................................................63

Fig. 37. Accessibility to educational facilities ............................................................................................................................................................................63

Fig. 38. Accessibility from proposed LRT stops by Amanah.......................................................................................................................................................64

Fig. 39. Accessibility from proposed bus stops by Amanah.......................................................................................................................................................65

Fig. 40. Water and sewage management...................................................................................................................................................................................68

Fig. 41. Blue and green networks...............................................................................................................................................................................................69

Fig. 42. Tabuk’s unbalanced growth and development patterns..............................................................................................................................................75

Fig. 43. Divisions and lack of cohesion in Tabuk’s urban structure...........................................................................................................................................77

Fig. 44. Socio-ecological and economic imbalance in Tabuk.....................................................................................................................................................79

Fig. 45. The Compact City: Consolidating Tabuk’s development and densifying centres........................................................................................................85

Fig. 46. The Connected City: Linking Tabuk through public transport.....................................................................................................................................87

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Fig. 47. The Resilient City: Rebalancing Tabuk’s socio-ecological and economic systems.......................................................................................................89

Fig. 48. Current land use .............................................................................................................................................................................................................92

Fig. 49. Current land use and UN-Habitat proposal for new land use (%)...............................................................................................................................93

Fig. 50. UN-Habitat proposal for new land use..........................................................................................................................................................................93

Fig. 51. Current distribution of population density...................................................................................................................................................................94

Fig. 52. UN-Habitat proposal for distribution of population density.......................................................................................................................................95

Fig. 53. Current job accessibility within a 10-minute walk........................................................................................................................................................96

Fig. 54. UN-Habitat proposal for job accessibility within a 10-minute walk............................................................................................................................97

Fig. 55. Current job accessibility from tram stops......................................................................................................................................................................98

Fig. 56. Current and proposed job accessibility from tram stops (%).......................................................................................................................................99

Fig. 57. UN-Habitat proposal for job accessibility from tram stops..........................................................................................................................................99

Fig. 58. Current job accessibility within a 20-minute drive......................................................................................................................................................100

Fig. 59. Current and proposed job accessibility within a 20-minute drive (%)......................................................................................................................101

Fig. 60. UN-Habitat proposal for job accessibility within a 20-minute drive..........................................................................................................................101

Fig. 61. Current accessibility within a 10-minute walk from tram stops.................................................................................................................................102
Fig. 62. Current and proposed accessibility within a 10-minute walk from LRT stops (%)...................................................................................................103

Fig. 63. UN-Habitat proposal for accessibility within a 10-minute walk from tram stops.....................................................................................................103

Fig. 64. Create a public transport backbone to support densification...................................................................................................................................109

Fig. 65. Promote strategic densification around main nodes and along the transportation network................................................................................111

Fig. 66. Create a diffused and well-integrated blue and green networks.............................................................................................................................113

Fig. 67. Action Plan for Tabuk...................................................................................................................................................................................................119

Fig. 68. Components of mixed land use....................................................................................................................................................................................122

Fig. 69. The impact of infrastructure development on land value.........................................................................................................................................122

Fig. 70. Key factors in designing betterment levies.................................................................................................................................................................123

Fig. 71. Cost-benefit analysis factors in land-based financing................................................................................................................................................123

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9.3 Notes and References

1 Floristic diversity of Tabuk province, north Saudi Arabia. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308170235_Floristic_

diversity_of_tabuk_province_north_Saudi_Arabia [accessed Aug 23 2018]

2 Represent the instructions issued by a Minister, his representative or any official of the Ministry to announce new regulations and updates

regarding any intent or action to be undertaken.

3 Tabuk workshop, UN-Habitat 2018

4 The planning system in Saudi is not formalized and therefore there is lack of consistency in the naming of plans across the cities. Normally,

the strategic component is labelled as the Comprehensive Plan or Structure Plan but in the context of Tabuk, it is referred to as the

Structural Plan.

5 According to Article 7 and 8 of Regional Law, the Minister of Interior chairs the meeting with all regional Amirs to discuss issues affecting each

region and the general services required.

6 Royal Decree No M/4 dated 24 November 2015 (the “Law”) and Council of Ministers Decision No. 377 dated 13 June 2016 (the “Regulations”).

7 Tabuk workshop, UN-Habitat 2018

8 See Royal Decree No. (1663) of 1976.

9 See Article 5 of the Law of Regions to Royal Order No. A/92 (1993).

10 Baladiyahs are administrative subdivisions

11 Tabuk Amanah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2017).

12 The Capital Market Law, the formation of the Security and Exchange Commission, and the creation of a privately-owned stock exchange were

launched with the aim of improving the domestic capital market. Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority. Retrieved from http://www.sama.gov.sa/

en-US/Pages/default.aspx

13 Deloitte Transaction Services LLC (2013). Saudi mortgage laws: a formula for a well-functioning market? Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited.

Dubai International Finance Centre & Deloitte LLP, United Kingdom.

14 Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (2015).

15 Energy and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (2016).

16 Colliers International. (2012). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia health care overview. Retrieved from http://www.colliers.com/~/media/files/emea/emea/

research/speciality/2012q1-saudi-arabia-healthcare-overview.ashx

17 Ministry of Health. (2015). Health statistical book. Retrieved from https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/book/Pages/default.aspx

18 Ministry of Health. (2015). Health statistical book. Retrieved from https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/book/Pages/default.aspx

19 Almalki, M., Fitzgerald, G., & Clark, M. Health care system in Saudi Arabia: an overview. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 17(10),

784-793.

20 Madinah Amanah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2017).

21 The estimation of vacant land in Madinah is approximately 213 km2. United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Nairobi, Kenya

22 The three-pronged is recommended by New Urban Agenda as approach to lead the decision making process by integrating the urban planning

functions with legal framework and financial factors. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (2017) Economic Foundations for

Sustainable Urbanisation: A Study on Three-Pronged Approach: Planned City Extensions, Legal Framework, and Municipal Finance.

23 A New Strategy of Sustainable Neighbourhood Planning: Five principles, UN-Habitat, 2014

24 A New Strategy of Sustainable Neighbourhood Planning: Five principles, UN-Habitat, 2014

25 Global Volcano Model, International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior. 2015. Global distribution of volcanism:

Regional and country profiles.

26 UNFCCC Designated Authority in Saudi Arabia. 2016. Third National Communication to UNFCCC. Local Plan for Tabuk.

27 UNFCCC Designated Authority in Saudi Arabia. 2016. Third National Communication to UNFCCC. Local Plan for Tabuk.

28 UNFCCC Designated Authority in Saudi Arabia. 2016. Third National Communication to UNFCCC. Local Plan for Tabuk.

29 UNFCCC Designated Authority in Saudi Arabia. 2016. Third National Communication to UNFCCC. Local Plan for Tabuk.

30 MMM Group, Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Planners. 2011. Environment Plan, Comprehensive Plan for Madinah.

31 Godschalk, D. R. (2003). Urban Hazard Mitigation Creating Resilient Cities. Natural Hazards Review, Volume 4, Issue 3, 136-143.

32 Godschalk, D. R. (2003). Urban Hazard Mitigation Creating Resilient Cities. Natural Hazards Review, Volume 4, Issue 3, 136-143.

33 Vision 2030 (2018). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from http://vision2030.gov.s

34 United Nations (2017). New Urban Agenda. United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Nairobi, Kenya

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35 This instrument has “a long tradition of being implemented in Colombia” with the first implementations going back to the passage of Act 25

in 1921. Medellin was one of the first cities to use this funding instrument. It is estimated that more than 50% of Medellín’s main road grid was

paid by betterment levies. Walters, L. (2016). Leveraging land: land-based finance for local governments. United Nations Human Settlements

Programme. Nairobi, Kenya.

36 According to UN-Habitat accessibility evaluation, the Smart Mass Transport System will be within an area of 10 minutes walking distance for

267,794 people (19.3 percent) in the first phase, for 211,463 people (15.3 percent) in the second phase, for 223,982 people (16.2 percent) in the

third phase. United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Nairobi, Kenya.

37 As pillar for economic diversification, Education was key topic during the UN-Habitat workshop held in Tabuk, April 2018.

38 Ministry of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2016). In 2016, intergovernmental transfers represented 89% of the municipal budget.

39 General Authority for Statistics, Demographic Survey (2016). The people living in the Taif Region are 2,080,436 and the number of cars is around

1,487,869.

40 Impact fees force developers to consider more seriously the costs of development. This fee is calculated on the infrastructure cost provision

and charged by developers before to develop the project. This instrument is highly recommended for facing the sprawling generated by

massive investment in real estate sector and development. Carruthers J. I., & Ulfarsson G. F. (2003). Urban sprawl and the cost of public services.

Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 30, 503-522

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