RIYADH, 22 May 2007 -- Governor of Riyadh and Head of the High Commission for Development of Riyadh (HCDR) Prince Salman said that the government of Saudi Arabia was determined to provide a suitable house for every citizen in the country.
Speaking at the Housing Symposium 3 "Neighborhoods Are More Than Houses" on Sunday evening, Prince Salman said that the Saudi government had established special institutions for housing. It also provided incentives for citizens who wish to purchase houses such as loans.
"This care has been illustrated by the establishment of the Commission for Housing which aims at providing a suitable housing for citizens," he said.
Prince Salman distributed awards to the top three winners of the international contest for the best housing district design that is organized by HCDR.
The event was attended by a large number of officials as well as real estate brokers, businessmen and investors. Mayor of Riyadh Prince Abdul Aziz Al-Ayaf and Prince Faisal ibn Salman, chairman of the Saudi Research and Development Group (SRMG) attended the event. Also attending was Dr. Azzam Al-Dakhil, CEO of SRMG. Arab News is a media sponsor of the symposium.
Prince Salman noted that the capital was witnessing major developments, particularly in the housing sector. He also said that the mushrooming of real estate companies in the capital was a clear sign of the capital massive housing expansion.
"It is a good initiative which is welcomed. And we will provide them (the real estate companies) with all the necessary supportive methods as well as the right investment environment," he said.
Abdul Lateef Al-Asheikh, head of the planning and projects department at the HCDR, stressed the importance of providing quality services in neighborhoods, adding that it was an indication to the quality of life in those areas.
"Positive social living relies largely on the reaction of the residents of the neighborhood and the quality of neighborhood facilities ... it also relies on the availability of these facilities, their numbers, their distribution within the neighborhood, and its maintenance."
He said the commission had the responsibility of approving the establishment of housing projects in the capital on a six-step basis: studying, surveying, analyzing, evaluating and then planning and supervising.
Mayor of Riyadh Prince Abdul Aziz Al-Ayyaf lauded the efforts of HCDR to develop the capital city in the past 3 decades.
"Housing projects in Riyadh have been given the priority among other projects in the capital to enable residents to live in suitable houses and support the initiatives of the private sector and charitable housing establishments," he said.
Speaking about new projects in the capital, Al-Ayyaf said that many projects were currently underway to establish more parks.
He gave the example of the King Abdullah Parks that the municipality is currently designing.
The parks will cover a total area of 1.5 million square meters.
Another future project is a park that will be established in the old Equastrian Club in Malaz. It will cover an overall area of 300,000 square meters.
A third project is the Prince Salman Park, located north of the capital. The municipality is currently fencing the entire area that will cover 3 million square meters.
The three parks will be an addition to Al-Salam Park located in the center of the capital. Al-Ayyaf said that many districts in the capital are undergoing development plans. He mentioned that several districts are getting new lighting, asphalted roads, more trees and new sidewalks.
One of the major attractions of the capital is the famous Al-Tahliya Street. The municipality had created a special sidewalk for people to enjoy their time out at the coffee shops there.
It also established brick roads in some of the areas which similar to the European fashion. Another street which has been recently developed is the Prince Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz Street.
Orange bricked sidewalks were established on both sides in addition to the new lighting and trees planted.
By Raid Qusti
© Arab News 2007
