JEDDAH: About 2,000 health, social, educational and infrastructure projects are being implemented in various parts of the Makkah province as part of efforts to achieve a balanced development in the region, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said Saturday.
Addressing a meeting of senior officials at the governorate, Prince Khaled said all development projects in the province should be around the Holy Kaaba. "The holy city of Makkah should be the starting point of the development strategy for this region," he told the gathering.
Earlier, Darwish Al-Ghamdi, director general of planning and coordination, briefed the governor on the Makkah regional development plan, which is part of the Kingdom's five-year development plan. "The regional plan gives a picture of development projects for the region until 2030," he said.
The plan aims at establishing new development centers and diversify the region's economic base as well as to reduce the development of difference of various parts of the region, Al-Ghamdi said.
"It also aims at improving the living standard of people and reducing migration of residents to major cities," he added.
The governorate has made plans for the development of Taif, Qunfuda, Rabigh, Al-Laith, Khulais, Kamil, Turba, Kharma and Raniya after conducting a detailed study on the present condition of these areas. "More attention will be given for the development of areas that are underdeveloped," Al-Ghamdi said.
He said the new development plan aims at achieving overall development of 44.6 percent of the region, adding that 16 percent of the land in the province would be used for housing and other construction projects, 10.4 percent for agriculture, 19.1 percent for mineral projects and 2.6 percent for roads and railways.
The new projects include expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh. The first phase of a massive project to develop Makkah and the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah will be completed within four years.
The giant Makkah development project is expected to change the face of the holy city by setting up an integrated transport system including trams and ring roads and developing underdeveloped residential districts in various parts of the city.
More than 7,000 real estate units will be acquired and demolished in Makkah to make way for the expansion of the Grand Mosque and the development of the holy city. "About 3,000 of these new units worth more than SR40 billion will be appropriated as part of the King Abdullah project," said a senior official. Another 4,000 houses would be demolished for the construction of the parallel road from the western side of the Grand Mosque.
© Arab News 2012
