They Excavated the Desert and Brought the Sea In: A Giant City With a 200-Km Coastline
Kuwait has embarked on an engineering project unlike any other in the world. Instead of constructing artificial islands in the sea along the coast of the Persian Gulf, Kuwait has brought the sea into the middle of the desert, establishing a brand-new maritime city the size of Manhattan.
Rising in the southeast of Kuwait, Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City is akin to a massive real-life transformation of those intricate trenches we used to dig as children on the beach to prevent the water from becoming stagnant, while building our sand castles.
The most striking feature of the project is not the filling of the sea, as is common with other artificial beach projects around the world; on the contrary, it involves carving out the desert to allow ocean water to flow in.
This city, built from scratch, and its marine ecosystem saw the transformation of salty marshlands into vast canals. The enormous amounts of sand excavated were meticulously cleaned and used to elevate residential areas. Consequently, the city was positioned at a safe height well above the anticipated sea level, providing a robust defense against future global warming and flood risks.
Driven by the desire of many Kuwaitis to live by the sea, the project has effectively doubled the length of the country's existing coastline.
Here are some striking details about Sea City that stand out:
Comparable to Manhattan: The project's area is almost equivalent to that of New York's famous Manhattan district in terms of size.
A 200 Kilometer-long Beach: A man-made beach strip spanning 200 kilometers has been created to ensure virtually all residents of the city have direct access to the beach.
Modern Hubs: In addition to massive residential areas, the city also boasts luxury yacht marinas and large retail/shopping centers.
Constructed using advanced engineering techniques, Sea City lies just north of the Al Zour thermal power plant. Moreover, the project is transforming the face of the surrounding region.
With the construction of the city, striking new agricultural areas are expanding towards the Saudi Arabian border. Over time, the sprouting of new settlements in the desert areas inland demonstrates that this mega project is not merely a coastal city, but a development initiative that transforms the desert from top to bottom.
Keşfet ile ziyaret ettiğin tüm kategorileri tek akışta gör!
Test
Gündem
Magazin
Video
Send Comment