Creating Cultural Spaces: Ajdan Walk

By integrating the commercial with the cultural, developers across the Kingdom can create a new type of destination that takes on a life of its own and becomes far more than the sum of its parts.

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by Michael Fejsa , VP for Properties at Ajdan

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Since opening in 2019, Ajdan Walk has proven a favourite with Al Khobar’s locals. During 2022, it attracted more than 5.5 million visitors. The Eastern Province’s first outdoor food court and commercial space includes 17 restaurants, 350 parking bays, covering 32,000 sq.m of area. For the people of Khobar, Ajdan Walk’s impact goes far beyond an elevated shopping experience and provides a hub to socialise, a place to walk, and a space to unwind with its musical performances. This project is testament to the importance of creating spaces where people can flourish—and showcases the developer’s vital role in cultivating local culture.

Under a developer’s guidance a project becomes a destination—where the local community can enjoy spending time, whilst also acting as a symbol of the area’s identity to visitors. In the case of Ajdan Walk, I would say we have approached this aim through three pillars: novel retail and leisure brands, design, and cultural activations.

Through the provision of new-to-the-region international brands, including PF Chang’s, Cheesecake Factory, Nando’s, Walk provides a place for new experiences—and new tastes—to grow. In addition to a stellar F&B choice, Ajdan Walk is home to the first standalone AMC cinema in the Eastern Province. This premium, international brand mix means Ajdan Walk takes on a unique identity as a place for residents and visitors to enjoy new experiences and make memories.

A far cry from the indoor shopping centres across the country, Ajdan Walk is an open, outdoor space with walkways, landscaped gardens, and impressive water features. In our work with international architecture firm, Benoy, we’ve aimed to create space that stimulates cultural and socialising by design. Bringing a previously unseen concept and brands to the Eastern Province was a challenge, but one we tackled through careful landscaping, planning and retail unit design. The spatial concept focuses on blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces—with areas for both privacy and entertainment— encouraging relaxation and enjoyment with a strong sense of arrival and pedestrian activity flow through. The space’s design inspiration is ultimately rooted in inspiration from surrounding streets, buildings and the cultural context of Khobar, the layout and design prioritises seamless pedestrian flow. People thrive on the cultural and social aspects of a development as much as they do the commercial, and how we use space should facilitate this.

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At the heart of the team’s initiatives to activate Ajdan Walk as a cultural hub for Khobar, is a regular program of cultural showcases, which prove particularly popular on cooler nights. Between March and May this year alone, Ajdan Walk hosted musical events, stilt walkers, a fire show and LED performers. These include musicians playing the violin, the oud and the qanun, promoting cultural engagement and exchange. The team, led by Sahar Salamah, our Restaurants and Entertainment Manager has driven the organisation and hosting of these, including a Flying Violinist, provided a spectacle for the whole family—attracting more than 60,000 visitors in a four-day period. These types of regular cultural activations, aim to position Ajdan Walk as the place to be, socialise, gather and make unforgettable memories. For any developer realising these types of destination, making sure the space is animated is essential—and these types of events leave a lasting impact.

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While I’ve reflected on the aspects that make Ajdan Walk a success locally, it is also important consider how the local influences the global. In creating a destination with a strong role in the local community, we strive to build authentic modern identity for Khobar, which in turn attracts outside investment and visitors to the city. Our developments must embody their locations’ cultural identity—and encourage it to grow and develop. Ultimately, the fusion of cultural production with commerce in a destination yields a virtuous cycle of economic growth and sustainability.

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If you would like to discuss Ajdan Walk, any of our upcoming projects, or the ideas I’ve discussed, please do not hesitate to contact with us at [email protected].

Author info

Michael Fejsa joined Ajdan as Vice President for Properties in November 2018, having previously worked on large-scale projects across Australia, UAE, Qatar and KSA. He is a senior facilities management professional with over 20 years global property experience across a comprehensive range of iconic developments and premium property portfolios. Michael’s professional expertise include successful project management, implementation of optimisation synergies and delivery of technology initiatives to improve bottom lines.