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Sustainable Infrastructure Delivery for Expo, Hospitality, and Entertainment Districts in Saudi Arabia: Energy, Compliance, and Legacy Value under Vision 2030
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Energy, Compliance, and Legacy Value
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I2-1722145
Abstract
Saudi Arabia’s expansion of expo, hospitality, and entertainment districts creates an opportunity to treat infrastructure as a long-term regional asset rather than a temporary response to visitor demand. This review examines how energy strategy, regulatory compliance, construction delivery, and post-event adaptation can be integrated across the lifecycle of such districts under Vision 2030. Thirty publications and institutional sources issued between 2020 and 2025 were synthesised through a structured thematic review. The evidence indicates that the strongest delivery model begins with district-scale load planning, passive climatic response, high-efficiency cooling, renewable electricity, water reuse, and digital measurement, while simultaneously embedding statutory approvals, sustainability certification, commissioning, supply-chain controls, and legacy conversion requirements. Event-led developments frequently underperform when permanent and temporary assets are planned separately, operational data remain fragmented, or legacy uses are defined after construction. Conversely, adaptable buildings, shared utilities, transit integration, modular components, and transparent performance indicators reduce stranded capacity and improve regional value. The paper proposes an integrated delivery framework linking energy, compliance, and legacy decisions through staged assurance gates from briefing to operation. It concludes that Saudi districts can create durable economic, environmental, and social outcomes when peak-event performance is treated as one operating mode within a broader, measurable, and adaptable urban system.
Keywords
Sustainable Infrastructure, Expo 2030 Riyadh, Hospitality Districts, Entertainment Districts, Energy Efficiency, Compliance, Commissioning, Legacy Planning, Vision 2030
How to cite this paper
@article{1722145,
author = {Saquib Syed},
title = {Sustainable Infrastructure Delivery for Expo, Hospitality, and Entertainment Districts in Saudi Arabia: Energy, Compliance, and Legacy Value under Vision 2030},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {2},
pages = {423-435},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722145.pdf},
abstract = {Saudi Arabia’s expansion of expo, hospitality, and entertainment districts creates an opportunity to treat infrastructure as a long-term regional asset rather than a temporary response to visitor demand. This review examines how energy strategy, regulatory compliance, construction delivery, and post-event adaptation can be integrated across the lifecycle of such districts under Vision 2030. Thirty publications and institutional sources issued between 2020 and 2025 were synthesised through a structured thematic review. The evidence indicates that the strongest delivery model begins with district-scale load planning, passive climatic response, high-efficiency cooling, renewable electricity, water reuse, and digital measurement, while simultaneously embedding statutory approvals, sustainability certification, commissioning, supply-chain controls, and legacy conversion requirements. Event-led developments frequently underperform when permanent and temporary assets are planned separately, operational data remain fragmented, or legacy uses are defined after construction. Conversely, adaptable buildings, shared utilities, transit integration, modular components, and transparent performance indicators reduce stranded capacity and improve regional value. The paper proposes an integrated delivery framework linking energy, compliance, and legacy decisions through staged assurance gates from briefing to operation. It concludes that Saudi districts can create durable economic, environmental, and social outcomes when peak-event performance is treated as one operating mode within a broader, measurable, and adaptable urban system.},
keywords = {Sustainable Infrastructure, Expo 2030 Riyadh, Hospitality Districts, Entertainment Districts, Energy Efficiency, Compliance, Commissioning, Legacy Planning, Vision 2030},
month = {August},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I2-1722145}
}