Jeddah Central Development Company (JCDC), a Public Investment Fund (PIF) entity and developer of the Jeddah Central Project, has undertaken a highly competitive design competition with some of the leading design firms in the world. The competition required the firms to develop a visionary architectural design for an Oceanarium & Coral Farm landmark building that captures the cultural essence of Jeddah, while maintaining a destination that satisfies today's market needs. The Oceanarium and Coral Farm landmark design contract winner SOM Company, one of the world's leading architecture firms, brings over 85 years of experience to this new JCDC venture. The Oceanarium and Coral Farm will bring the exciting underwater world right to its visitors and cement Jeddah's position as a regional and global sustainable marine conservation leader. The new landmark's design will highlight Jeddah's authentic architecture and reflect its contemporary identity while adhering to international standards. Eng. Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Sulaim, CEO of JCDC, highlighted the company's role in achieving a key PIF and Saudi Vision 2030 objective through diversifying and enriching the tourism and entertainment industries to help build a thriving economy and more vibrant society. "The signing of these contracts comes as part of our plans to develop a project that will contribute to the growth of the national economy and the creation of jobs for Saudi nationals, all while providing Jeddah residents and visitors with a wide range of cultural and recreational destinations," he added. Paul O'Brien, Chief Development Officer at JCDC, said that the construction of the new landmarks will help attract both local and global quality investments for the development and operation of the JCDC's unique facilities. It will pave the way for investors to participate in the creation of new promising economic sectors in one of Saudi Arabia's most attractive areas. — SG
