A district cooling plant of 60,000 refrigeration tons is being built under a 25-year build-own-operate-transfer agreement with Saudi Tabreed, with 20,000 TR taken by the Foundation in the first phase. SNC-Lavalin holds the EPC contract. No completion has been announced.
Key facts
| Plant capacity |
60,000 refrigeration tons
King Salman Park Founda…Sep 2023Saudi Tabreed
Contract capacity over 25 years · as of Sep 2023
|
|---|---|
| First-phase off-take |
20,000 TR
King Salman Park Founda…Sep 2023
Foundation off-take in phase 1 · as of Sep 2023
|
Cooling the park from one plant
Instead of hundreds of separate air conditioners, King Salman Park's buildings are meant to share chilled water from a central plant. Parsons says this reduces energy use, operating cost and carbon footprint.
The agreement
In September 2023 the Foundation announced a build-own-operate-transfer agreement with Saudi Tabreed for the first district cooling plant: 60,000 refrigeration tons (TR) over 25 years, with the Foundation taking 20,000 TR in the first phase. Saudi Tabreed's subsidiary, Green Park Cooling Company, is the project company and the Foundation is the off-taker.
Construction
In June 2023 SNC-Lavalin was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the plant, a 27-month contract according to Saudi Gulf Projects. That points to completion around late 2025, but we have found no announcement that it is finished or running.
Why it matters for visitors
Shaded paths and cooled buildings are what make a Riyadh summer visit possible. Cooling also affects the cost of operating museums and theatres in the Royal Arts Complex, though no source links them explicitly.
Where it stands
Under construction, as of the latest milestone we can source. Package contract values are not published in SAR.
Timeline
District cooling plant contract awarded to SNC-Lavalin
SNC-Lavalin received a 27-month EPC contract for the park's first district cooling plant, with an ultimate capacity of 60,000 refrigeration tonnes.
Trade ArabiaJun 2023Saudi Tabreed signs a 25-year district cooling agreement
The Foundation signed a 25-year build-own-operate-transfer agreement for 60,000 refrigeration tonnes, with 20,000 allocated to the first phase.
Saudi Press AgencySep 2023Phase 2 infrastructure works begin
Haif started roads, power, water, irrigation, sewage, stormwater and district cooling works for the second phase.
MEEDNov 2025News
- 5 Nov 2025 Haif begins Phase 2 infrastructure MEED
Sources
- Agreement with Saudi Tabreed for first district cooling plant · King Salman Park Foundation, 14 Sep 2023
- King Salman Park — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · Parsons
- Contractors win $2.5bn · MEED, 16 Jun 2023
- SNC-Lavalin district cooling · Saudi Gulf Projects, 1 Jun 2023
- King Salman Park · Saudi Tabreed
