Saudi Gazette report TAIF — Residents of Taif are awaiting the construction of a technology oasis in their city, which is considered the first of its kind in the Kingdom. The project will see Taif becoming a regional transportation hub, with the city getting a new international airport and high speed trains that will run to Makkah, Jeddah and Riyadh as well as the Gulf countries, Al-Madinah newspaper reported. The transport center will also include a dry port to relieve pressure on Jeddah Islamic Port and an Islamic trade center, which will have shops, conference halls and international hotels. The new city will include residential and business areas, in addition to schools and medical facilities. The project, which is the brainchild of Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, will be built in cooperation with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The city will also attract investment in higher educational facilities, which will be affiliated to Taif University, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah.
