Future Makkah expecting 5,000 visitors for the only dedicated exhibition for the Holy City of Makkah
Dr. Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Khudairi, Deputy Governor of Makkah Province, inaugurated Future Makkah 2011 on Sunday, June 19, 2011, the Makkah International Urban & Infrastructure Development Event which is taking place until June 21, at the Jeddah Center for Forums and Events. Held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah Province, Future Makkah has been organized to support the Makkah Development Plan, providing a dedicated business-to-business networking platform that supports public and private investment initiatives in the Holy City of Makkah.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Khudairi, Deputy Governor of Makkah province, said, "Projects worth billions of dollars are being initiated in the Makkah region, especially residential projects that are being undertaken to solve the housing problem in Makkah. Further, the immediate emphasis will be to prevent project delays and complete unfinished projects. A strategy is also in place to achieve all round development and resolve the problem of population explosion, congestion and overcrowding in major cities. The key is to ease the burden on major cities and support the development of other provinces, making them self sufficient."
Future Makkah features an exhibition, the Future Makkah Development Forum, and post-conference workshop. More than 5,000 local, regional and international investors, high net-worth individuals, government and municipality companies, construction, infrastructure and utility companies will visit the event, seeking to capitalize on over SAR 100 billion government expenditure for projects encompassing infrastructure, utilities, investment, financing, real estate and tourism sectors.
The Future Makkah Development Forum is hosting in-depth discussions and presentations concerning key topics, including Makkah and KSA's increasing power and water requirements, ongoing hospitality projects for the Holy City, transport development, the growing need for medical centres and services in the Holy City, availability of financing facilities, profitable investment opportunities in Makkah and the wider Kingdom, public-private partnership prospects, land values and specialised project management strategies. High-profile developers such as Jabal Omar Development Company and Elaf Group are also discussing their development plans in the region.
Hussain Al Harithy from National Exhibitions Company, which is co-organising Future Makkah along with IIR Middle East, said: "We are deeply honoured with the support of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah Region, which reaffirms the strategic importance of Future Makkah in helping achieve the long-term objectives of the Makkah Development Plan. Future Makkah gathers the most prominent personalities in government, business and civil society to discuss the ambitious development program that is being undertaken in the Makkah Region and its impact on the growth of the national economy. With such a powerful cast of participants, Future Makkah certainly serves as the definitive business-to-business networking venue for all parties involved in transforming Makkah into one of the most exciting destinations in the Middle East."
Deep Marwaha, Group Director, IIR Middle East, welcomed the forum audience and briefly provided an overview of the major development projects that will be undertaken in Makkah over the coming years. Speaking specifically about the Makkah Development Plan, he pointed out that 40 per cent of the investment into the city of Makkah will be allocated to the private sector, which underlines the significance that the Makkah region holds for private sector companies.
Essam Kalthoum, Acting CEO of Bawabat Makkah, who spoke on behalf of H.E. Dr. Osama Al Bar, Mayor of Makkah, said, "Makkah receives the support of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the two Holy mosques, and is also part of the vision of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah Province. As part of the efforts to develop and modernize Makkah, a company under the name of Al Balad Al Amin will be set up. The most important goal of the company will be to complete unfinished housing and road projects in Makkah, while also contributing to social development and tourism promotion."
Eng. Sameer Al-Quraishi, Executive General Director, Jabal Omar Development Co., one of the platinum sponsors of the event, said: "Future Makkah creates exciting opportunities to network with different government entities and business organisations, which otherwise would be very difficult to achieve. We are therefore pleased to support this important undertaking and help ensure its success. It has been our mission to develop premium-quality properties within the region, taking into account the sanctity of the Holy City while catering to the needs of the increasing number of pilgrims, Umrah performers and worshipers. Future Makkah will surely help us gain more exclusive insights that will support our ongoing development plans in the region."
Tarik H.Nabulsi, Deputy CEO, Elaf Group of Companies, which is also one of the platinum sponsors of the event, said: "The Makkah Region continues to open exciting growth opportunities for the hospitality sector in light of the increasing number of religious visitors in the region. Future Makkah will therefore serve as an excellent venue to present our hospitality projects in the region, creating opportunities for strategic partnerships and allowing us to explore a wider range of investment prospects in Makkah and in the rest of KSA."
Future Makkah has attracted support from many leading companies including platinum sponsors Jabal Omar Development Co, Dyafat Al Balad Al Ameen and Elaf Group, and silver sponsor AECOM.
Future Makkah is being held at the Jeddah Center for Forums and Events from 19 to 21 June 2011, from 11 am to 9 pm daily. For more information about Future Makkah, please visit www.futuremakkah.com .
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About Future Makkah:
Future Makkah - the Makkah International Urban & Infrastructure Development Event - brings together companies who want to take part in the SR100 billion Makkah development Plan initiated by the government of Saudi Arabia. The event is held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah Province. The industries represented at the events include: Government / Regulatory bodies; Utilities; Transport; Hospitality; Infrastructure; Telecommunications; Real Estate; Finance and Investment; Education; Healthcare; and Construction.
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© Press Release 2011
