Korea to start building 'smart city' in Kuwait in 2019

A consortium of South Korean construction companies will start building an eco-friendly residential city in Kuwait in 2019, the infrastructure ministry said Monday.

The builders' consortium led by POSCO A&C and Hyundai Architects and Engineers Associates Co. plans to build the "smart city" which is environmentally friendly, well-organized and connected for the well-being of residents in the city, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.

This is a virtual image of a smart city to be built in Kuwait by South Korean builders. (Yonhap file photo)

"It is the first export of the 'smart city' project which has been strongly pushed by the ministry," the statement said.

The Kuwaiti project can pave the way for winning similar eco-friendly city construction projects in the Middle East, it said.

If the smart city is built, it will accommodate 25,000-40,000 households.

As a follow-up step, the government said it will help form the consortium in 2018 and set up a special purpose company in 2019 to push forward the US$4 billion project.

The ministry didn't provide further details about the project. (Yonhap)