Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, right, is given a tour of the Makkah Projects Show by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, in Jeddah on Tuesday night. — SPA JEDDAH — The gigantic projects being carried out in the Two Holy Mosques are mainly attributed to Allah's blessings and then to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister. He made the remarks while visiting the Makkah Projects Show in Jeddah Tuesday night. Crown Prince Salman said King Abdullah's project for the development of Makkah gains special importance because it is devoted to all Muslims. “The Kingdom has the honor of being in the service of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. It has devoted itself to the mission of carrying out this duty in the best possible manner in order to cultivate Allah's pleasure and help pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort. This is best manifested in the huge projects devoted to serving the pilgrims to the inviolate House of Allah, and visitors to the Prophet's Mosque,” he said. “The most important thing for us under the leadership of our beloved King are the Two Holy Mosques which Almighty Allah bestowed the honor on us of serving them. Thus, the entire country is completely devoted to fulfilling this duty,” he added. Crown Prince Salman also expressed his delight at visiting the show, which reflects the great care given by the government to the holiest sites on earth. He added that every single Muslim knows the great care the King gives to the Two Holy Mosques. He prayed to Allah to help all the officials in Makkah led by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region and Chairman of the Commission for Development of Makkah. He said the new projects being carried out in Makkah had been designed to turn Makkah to a smart city if not the smartest city in the world. Commenting on the Crown Prince's visit to the show, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said, “Your visit to the show renders conclusive evidence for the great care you give for pushing the wheel of development in this holy city at the highest possible speed.” Also present at the event was Prince Saud Bin Naif, Chief of the Crown Prince's Court and Special Advisor to the Crown Prince, Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Salman, Assistant Minister of Petroleum, and Mineral Resources and a number of senior officials.
Over SR100 billion has been earmarked for various development projects in Makkah that will transform it to a modern city over the next 10 years. One of the major ongoing development projects in the city is the Bawabat Makkah or Makkah Gates project. Covering an area of 85 million square meters in the western suburb of the city, the project will create housing for over 600,000 residents. Along with residential units, the project will include a university, medical centers, a national park, and an entertainment and education complex, in addition to cultural facilities, heritage centers and museums. — SG
