News

Saudi Arabia Will Be Home To A $5BN Floating City

The superyacht, to be named Pangeos, will have room for 60,000 guests along with shopping malls and beach clubs.

Published

2 years ago

November 20, 2022

Nour Nasir

saudi arabia will be home to a $5bn floating city

Lazzarini

An Italian design studio called Lazzarini has begun a massive project to design and eventually build a $5 billion “terayacht”. The colossal floating city will be based in Saudi Arabia, and will have the ability to host 60,000 people.

As if the sheer size of this craft wasn’t headline-grabbing enough, the yacht, named Pangeos, will be shaped like a giant sea turtle.

According to Lazzarini, Pangeos is named “after the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.”

The design studio went on to add: “Translating this into a somewhat futuristic expression, Pangeos extends its length for 550 meters (1,800 ft) and measures 610 meters (2,000 ft) at its widest point — the wings. If realized, the turtle-shaped vessel will become the world’s largest structure ever built.”

pangeos terayacht floating city

The floating city will be home to 19 luxury villas and 64 apartments on each of the turtle’s wings. Lazzarini expects to pump $8 billion into construction, creating the largest-ever floating object after an eight-year build period.

pangeos floating city villas

The design of Pangeos is based around a main square that resembles a giant sports stadium, which extends into a wide terraced villa area with private houses, shops, and other buildings, plus a rooftop terrace with an upper “shell” zone for landing flying vehicles.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia Reveals Plans To Build The City Of The Future

In the lower spaces, 30,000 cells provide an unsinkable floating platform, with the bulk of the vessel being constructed from steel.

As well as being notable for its outrageous size and head-turning design, Pangeos will offer unrivaled luxury for guests, with a rooftop garden, mall, beach club, and a massive central shipyard with direct access to the sea.

News

UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.

Published

1 week ago

December 17, 2024

Nour Nasir

uae prepares to launch two satellites thuraya-2 and mbz-sat

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.

The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.

خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024

Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.

Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.

Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.

Also Read: IBM Opens New Doha Office To Support Qatar’s Digital Growth

The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.

The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.