The City Where Kuwait Brings the Desert and the Sea Together: Sabah Al Ahmad

Kuwait, a rich country thanks to oil revenues Although it has a large enough land to meet the demand for luxury housing. In the late 1980s, a bold plan was made to expand the coastline to solve this problem.

However, this plan is only Much more than acquiring a large land was expressing. How was this project, which started in 1989 and was then suspended due to the Gulf War, revived in a country trying to heal the wounds of environmental disasters and war?

The reasons behind Kuwait embarking on this project began with the great need for luxury housing in the late 1980s.

The country became rich thanks to crude oil exports. limited coastline and narrow area It was having difficulty in meeting this growing demand due to

Most of the coastal area was already built, and construction further into the desert would cause various problems. Lack of available resources, unstable ground and Not to mention extreme temperatures…

On the other hand, living by the sea, the mild climate and temperature between day and night It was a much more attractive option thanks to its reduced volatility. So how do you expand limited coastline? The answer is by digging canals that extend inland.

The project was interrupted by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990.

This occupation and its aftermath The Gulf War, It deeply affected the country and the environment. However, after the war, Sea City plans were restarted with an understanding that centered on respect for the environment.

The project goes beyond connecting the desert with the sea. would bring the sea together with the desert and thus would aim to create new ecosystems. Digging the canals would create new habitats for local marine life, while planting specially designed islands would enhance natural habitats.

Al-Qiran region was chosen from two potential project areas.

However, various difficulties were encountered during the implementation of this ambitious project. Lack of circulation in channels water quality could easily deteriorate due to

To overcome this, planners simulating natural currents They developed a complex computer model and used tidal gates to allow the lagoons to be cleared by natural forces.

And this gates called tidal gates They achieved this by placing it strategically. These gates were opened only by the push of water pressure when the tide was high.

At low tide, water flows in the opposite direction and closes these gates. It was pushing it to the closed position. In this way, the system was completely self-regulating.

So, what is the difference between Dubai’s artificial islands?

Note: On the left is Sabah Al Ahmad Marine City, on the right is Dubai’s artificial Palm Jumeirah island.

What was done in Dubai, was to create additional coastline. In Kuwait, canals were dug into the barren desert, while in Dubai, sand was dredged from the seabed to create new artificial islands.

Between these two approaches, especially There is an impact on the environment When it does, there are big differences. The natural currents and tidal streams that already exist in Kuwait determined the shape of the design, but the same cannot be said for Dubai.

Offering direct access to the cool waters of the sea Sabah Al AhmadIt is a proof of how modern urbanism can be shaped in harmony with nature.

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