Al Khiran Pearl City is a spectacular waterside development adjacent to the Arabian Gulf coastline, 85km south of Kuwait City. The new city, which is expected to take up to 25 years to complete, will eventually be home to a population of around 100,000 people. There are two natural tidal creeks at the site, and some 50% of the 6,400 hectare land area earmarked for development is salt marshland. The objective is to create a unique and attractive waterside city that tempers this harsh environment with quality construction and sensitive landscaping.
Buro Happold has been involved in the delivery of this prestigious project right from the earliest planning stages. Careful consideration was given to environmental andeconomic issues prior to the creation of a masterplan. Initial environmental impact assessment took into account the existing topography, prevailing winds and tides, water quality and land and marine ecology – factors which all have a major bearing on the provision of site infrastructure, road transport and utility supply.
Numerous coastal and hydraulic studies have also been provided to ensure the sustainability of the plan, focusing on areas such as pollutant flushing and sediment movement. We have been able to tailor specific engineering solutions to the needs of this unique environment. Our subsequent designs have covered every aspect of the waterway system, including the introduction of structures such as groynes and breakwaters to improve coastal protection.
The project has produced a number of engineering and environmental challenges, from geotechnical problems, such as how to improve ground bearing capacity, to ensuring through coastal modelling that water quality is being maintained at the completion of each phase of the masterplan. Specialist monitoring continually records the ‘health' of the waterways – information which is then fed into further technical studies. When the Al Khiran project is completed we are confident that it will set the standard for similar developments in the Middle East.
Date: 1996 - Current
