Saudi Arabia Is Building a 135-km Wellness Boulevard through Riyadh

Saudi Arabia is creating the world’s largest linear park, officially known as Sports Boulevard. Running across Riyadh from west to east, the project is designed as a new wellness realm for movement, nature and everyday health – and as a major case study in the fast-growing field of wellness real estate.

At more than 135 km, Sports Boulevard is at once a linear park and a piece of city infrastructure: a continuous network of walking paths, cycling routes, horse-riding trails, green spaces, sports facilities, cultural destinations and mixed-use districts.

For decades, Riyadh has been shaped by cars, heat and rapid expansion. Sports Boulevard suggests a different model: a city where walking, cycling, recreation, shade and social life become part of daily infrastructure.

A new public realm for movement

Sports Boulevard stretches from Wadi Hanifah in the west to Wadi Al Sulay in the east, connecting residential districts, commercial areas, landmarks and new development zones. Along the way, it creates a network of active mobility routes designed for pedestrians, cyclists, amateur athletes and horse riders.

The numbers show the scale:

135+ km across Riyadh

220 km of cycling paths

15+ km of horseback riding trails

4+ million sqm of green and public spaces

50+ sports facilities

170,000+ native and climate-adapted trees and plants

Phase 1 opened in February 2025, bringing 83 km of the project and five destination areas to the public.

The project is part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s national transformation strategy, and is expected to be completed by 2030.

Beyond sport

Despite its name, Sports Boulevard reaches far beyond sport.

The project brings together physical activity, urban greening, placemaking, culture and real estate development. It includes spaces for walking, cycling, play, public art, food and beverage, retail, hospitality, residential and office uses. It is a street you walk on, the shaded route you take after work, the public space where families gather, the cycling path that connects a neighbourhood to a metro station.

Sports Boulevard is also planned to connect with Riyadh’s wider urban infrastructure, including public transport and other major destinations.

Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in new urban districts, tourism destinations, cultural infrastructure and quality-of-life projects. Sports Boulevard sits within this larger shift, alongside other major developments designed to reposition the Kingdom’s cities for a new economic and social era.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, Saudi Arabia’s wellness economy has become one of the fastest-growing major wellness markets in the world. The Kingdom’s wellness real estate market reached $28 billion in 2025, growing from $200 million in 2017 – the highest growth rate globally over that period.

Sports Boulevard reflects a broader global trend: developers and governments are increasingly using wellness as a framework for urban planning, real estate and economic development.

Designing against the city’s old habits

Sports Boulevard is also a response to the limitations of the car-dependent city.

Riyadh’s climate and urban form have historically made outdoor movement difficult for much of the year. Large roads, limited sidewalks and fragmented public spaces have made daily walking or cycling less natural than in denser, older cities.

Sports Boulevard attempts to reverse that logic. By creating shaded routes, active mobility corridors, green spaces and connected destinations, it gives residents more reasons – and more infrastructure – to move.

Trees and plants provide shade, help mitigate heat, support air quality and make outdoor public life more viable in a hot climate. In a city like Riyadh, this is central to whether public space can actually be used.