Oasis

Al Ahsa - KSA

Urban Design

2024

Area: 100,000 sqm

Developed by Murooj Real Estate Fund, the Oasis Development Project is a mixed-use masterplan located in Al-Ahsa, Eastern Saudi Arabia — the world's largest oasis and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018.

The project is conceived around three guiding narratives: Indigenous Spirit, drawing on Al-Ahsa's deep-rooted traditions of date farming, souq culture, and courtyard architecture; Symbiotic Mechanism, taking cues from the region's historic water systems and passive cooling techniques like wind towers; and Global Hub, positioning the development within the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 and the country's growing role as an international destination.

The masterplan brings together a rich mix of uses — retail, an exhibition centre, entertainment, a sports hub, serviced apartments, townhouses, healthcare facilities, a kindergarten, mosque, and traditional souq — designed to offer a complete 24/7 lifestyle experience for residents and visitors alike. Public life is organised around a series of defined squares (Exposition, Entertainment, and Souq), lush gardens, and seamless pedestrian and cycling routes, all woven together by the organic geometry of the oasis landscape and the rocky forms of Al-Qarah Mountain.

Sustainability is central to the design, with passive shading systems, wind towers, and green corridors integrated throughout the scheme.

Diagram illustrating an ancient irrigation system in an oasis reflecting principles of residential layout, with arrows showing water flow and landscape elements.