Improving accessible, sustainable mobility for new entertainment and residential developments along the Qiddiya Coast

The Qiddiya Coast project is a large-scale, mixed-use destination located on a peninsula north of Jeddah along the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia. Covering approximately 13.5 square kilometres, the masterplan comprises 12 precincts and combines entertainment, hospitality, residential, and leisure functions within a highly strategic waterfront location.

Developed by Qiddiya Investment Company, the project is expected to attract up to 10 million visitors annually by 2030. Key attractions include two major entertainment destinations within the central Coves precinct: “Blue Planet”, featuring five themed entertainment parks, and the water park “Sea Dreams”.

The scale and projected visitor demand of the development required a robust and adaptable mobility strategy capable of ensuring efficient accessibility while minimizing infrastructure impacts on the surrounding environment.

One of the project’s primary challenges is the site’s geographic configuration: access to the peninsula is currently constrained to a single southern gateway. This condition creates significant pressure on the main access corridor and requires a carefully balanced approach between capacity, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

Systematica was appointed to provide transport and mobility consultancy services for the Qiddiya Coast project, contributing to the Development Masterplan, the Mobility Masterplan, and the Traffic Impact Study.

Our scope of work included:

• Review of the existing masterplan studies (DMP)
• Assessment of alternative solutions for improved vehicular access, parking, and pedestrian circulation
• Validation of transport scenarios through multiple scenario modelling
• Review and update of the Traffic Impact Study (TIS)

Particular attention was given to the optimisation of the main access corridor, which is a 4+4 lane roadway incorporating a high-speed rail (HSR) alignment and safeguarded space for a future metro connection in coordination with local authorities.

Different mitigation measures and strategies are proposed in order to improve the site’s accessibility without overdesigning road infrastructures, for example a capillary public transport network to promote alternative transport modes and to challenge current mobility behaviours.

Systematica is defining a comprehensive mobility vision for this large-scale mixed-use coastal destination. The strategy introduces:

• A hierarchical and resilient road network to ensure seamless regional and local accessibility
• An integrated multimodal system combining public transport, micromobility, pedestrian infrastructure, and first/last-mile services
• Centralized and shared parking strategies to optimize land use and reduce unnecessary car circulation
• Human-centered public realm solutions prioritizing walkability, shaded pedestrian environments, and user experience

A key component of the masterplan is the integration between regional transit systems,  including proposed HSR, metro or LRT, express buses, and ferry services, and the internal mobility network serving the different precincts.

Systematica is also developing a tailored macro mobility demand model based on population estimates, trip generation, internal capture, and modal split assumptions to assess future travel demand and support infrastructure dimensioning.

The project includes the definition and testing of mobility KPIs and design requirements for roads, parking, junctions, pedestrian connectivity, public transport accessibility, and micromobility facilities.

Traffic modelling and junction assessments are carried out to verify the operational performance of the proposed network under future peak conditions and event scenarios.

The Qiddiya Coast Mobility Master Plan establishes the strategic mobility framework for a major new destination expected to accommodate residents, visitors, staff, and large-scale entertainment functions within an integrated coastal development.

The proposed mobility approach strengthens the integration between regional and local transport systems while reducing dependency on private vehicles through public transport, walkability, and micromobility solutions.

The masterplan also introduces flexible and adaptive infrastructure principles, including shared parking strategies, safeguarded transit corridors, and optimized right-of-way configurations balancing mobility performance with high-quality public realm design.

The Qiddiya Coast project’s construction began in early 2019 and is currently ongoing. The site’s future completion will be a major step towards Saudi Vision 2030.