JEDDAH, 28 October 2006 -- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone for the expansion of Najran Airport during his upcoming visit to the southern region. The project is estimated to cost SR100 million.

Najran Gov. Prince Mishaal ibn Saud said his governorate has completed preparations for the landmark visit. "It's a visit of promise and progress," he said.

Abdullah, who is scheduled to arrive in Najran on Tuesday on his first visit after taking over power in August 2005, will launch a number of educational, health and infrastructure projects worth more than SR3.26 billion. The airport project includes passenger lounges, executive offices and infrastructure and parking facilities.

According to Prince Mishaal, the government has so far spent more than SR13.5 billion on various development projects in Najran. At present, there are 670 schools with 104,460 students and 8,898 teachers. A cement factory is under construction at a cost of SR1.5 billion in the region.

Speaking about the new projects, the governor said King Abdullah would lay the foundation stone for four university colleges (which are to cost SR600 million), health projects including a 200-bed hospital (SR285 million), a higher institute of technology for girls and an institute for vocational training (SR200 million).

"The king will also lay the foundation for 138 schools for boys and girls, which are estimated to cost SR692 million," the governor said. He will also commission a number of electricity projects, which are to be established at a total cost of SR800 million and will open the new buildings of the College of Technology, which was built at a cost of SR95 million and can accommodate about 3,000 students.

Prince Mishaal was optimistic about a new SR400 million project to pump water from the Empty Quarter to Najran, saying it is the first of its kind in the Kingdom.

King Abdullah will also visit Jizan and Asir during his tour of the south. He will launch the Kingdom's fourth economic city in Jizan on Nov. 5.

The project, which is to change the face of Jizan, is expected to attract investments of nearly SR30 billion.

The decision to launch the new economic city in Jizan was taken after a detailed study on the region's industrial prospects and its strategic geographic position. Jizan has rich deposits of limestone, dolomite, marble, basalt, gypsum and silica.

Abdullah has already laid the foundations for three economic cities in Rabigh, Hail and Madinah, which are to draw domestic and foreign investment worth more than SR155 billion ($41.3 billion) and create nearly 100,000 new jobs. Analysts said the new economic city in Jizan would create about 30,000 new jobs in industry, mining and service sectors.

The Jizan economic city will be developed by a major Malaysian company with the support of Saudi partners.

"Mining will be the main activity of the city," one source said. Details on the economic city would be available only after its launch by the king.

Jizan Gov. Prince Muhammad said a number of aluminum and plastic industries and a cement factory would be established in the first phase of the economic city. "In future it will be expanded to accommodate other industries and projects," he said.

By P.K. Abdul Ghafour

© Arab News 2006