King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is scheduled to open on Saturday an exhibition highlighting the development projects launched during his era. The exhibition, organized by the Makkah Governorate, is to be held on Jeddah's northern Corniche on an area of land covering some 115,000 square meters. It will run for three months and will showcase all the mega development projects worth more than SR10 billion undertaken since King Abdullah's ascension to the throne in August 2005. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, described the exhibition as evidence of the great care given by the government for the prosperity and progress of the country. He said the exhibition displays all the gigantic development projects carried out during the King's prosperous reign stressing that these projects will streamline the development process in the country and invigorate the national economy. Prince Khaled made special note of the King's decision to open the exhibition personally: The show gains special importance for being the first of its kind in the region, and for King Abdullah's personal support for these projects and for the well-being of the citizens. The Emir highlighted the fact that the exhibition will not only focus on past achievements, but will also present “ongoing and future projects which will create a quantum leap in the quality of life of citizens.” Prince Khaled stressed that the mega development projects have created thousands of job opportunities for Saudi youth. Jeddah, the Bride of the Red Sea, has the lion's share in the gigantic projects. Exhibits of many of the most notable development projects in the Kingdom will be on display, among them the Kingdom Tower, restoration of Jeddah's Historic District, expansion of Jeddah's seaport, Jeddah Corniche Tower, and several other projects. Jeddah Gate The SR6 billion integrated project for developing an area of 500,000 square meters is in the heart of Jeddah. The project, developed by Emaar, comprises of two main locations. The first one is spread over an area of 4,13,000 square meters near King Abdullah Road, while the second occupies an area of 1,14,000 square meters parallel to Abdullah Al-Sulaiman Street. Both locations are in walking distance from the main train station linking Makkah and Madina. The project has been designed in such a way as to accommodate thousands of residential units and office buildings. Apart from this, the Jeddah Gate project includes integrated facilities such as parks, swimming pools, physical fitness centers and children's playgrounds. They also include corridors for pedestrians and pavements on which restaurants, cafes, and international stores are planned. The buildings are connected to the latest telecommunications systems which will turn the heart of Jeddah into a thriving business center. Emaar has recently signed a contract with two multinational companies to construct water and sanitary drainage networks and storm-water canals. Khuzam Palace … towers and landscapes The Khuzam Palace project, in the southeast of Jeddah, covers an area of 3.72 million square meters. King Fahd and King Khaled roads pass through the site. The project stretches from Al-Assad Graveyard in the west to Effat College and Al-Nuzlah Al-Sharqiah, and in the north lies Makkah Highway and the telecommunications complex in the south. The Khuzam site also includes other important buildings such as the IDB, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) besides Al-Sabeel, Al-Nuzlah Al-Yamania and Asharqia districts. Rehabilitation of Historic Districts The project covers an area of six sq. km. and includes development and rebuilding of the downtown districts besides rehabilitating the Historic Area in Jeddah and developing the 16 km seafront. This particular area will be distinguished for landscapes, pedestrian pavements and recreational areas. This vital project will be carried out in collaboration with the private and public sector. According to Jeddah Mayoralty's master plan, the project represents a big advancement in the development of the city as it covers the historical area, downtown and the seafront. In addition to this, the development of Jeddah downtown offers a unique opportunity for real estate developers to benefit from their assets. New Jeddah Airport Project The completion of the third phase of the project will cater to the needs of 80 million passengers per annum through 63 boarding gates. Passengers would be able to move from one terminal to another through monorails. Projects in Makkah Several projects have been devoted to Makkah, primarily to ease the traffic flow in the holy city and accommodate the millions of worshippers who come here for Umrah and Haj. These development projects will enable Makkah to measure up to the most developed cities in the world. Darb Al-Khaleel This project has been designed to develop the Al-Hijla Area in Makkah (Darb Al-Khaleel). It will lie on an area of 65,000 square meters including hotels, malls, and parking lots. It is designed to ease traffic congestion around the Haram. More than 7,000 hotel rooms are planned in the area. King Abdul Aziz Road This is the second largest traffic project in Makkah passing through Al-Hindawi and Al-Tindbawi districts on a total area of 1.17 million square meters. The projected monorail network is designed to pass through this road, in addition to pedestarian tunnles leading to the Haram. Al-Haramain Axis A road network project starts at the north side of Makkah to provide a direct access to the Harama for pilgrims coming from Madina. Road network The new road network links secondary roads to the main road network. This network has been designed to separate internal traffic from the main. Jebel Omar Project The Jebel Omar Project is among the most important development projects for the improvement of the urban and residential fabric of the area surrounding the Holy Haram. The project mainly aims to provide and improve services for visitors to the Holy Haram. The project will provide adequate accommodation to 35,500 people. It also includes construction of a covered prayer ground to absorb 65,000 people provided with all services and facilities such as ablution areas and toilets besides securing parking lots for 9,250 vehicles. Additionally, it has a chain of integrated modern malls and shopping centers that have been designed according to the latest international specifications. It includes 4,400 commercial units each covering an area of 50 to 100 square meters. It also provides modern internal streets, public squares, pedestrian tunnels and escalators for the easy movement of pilgrims to and from the Holy Mosque. Heritage sites The General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (GCTA) will showcase the development of Souq Okaz, the Jeddah Historic downtown, Khuzam Palace in Jeddah and tourist sites in the coastal cities of Al-Qunfudha and Al-Leeth, southwest of Jeddah. Souq Okaz in Taif This project has received great attention from King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. The road leading to the souq will be developed further. The idea of the souq is based on an integrated plan to transform it into both a cultural and business hub to enhance long-lost tourism in Taif. The commission is also working on a plan to develop Al-Leeth and Al-Qunfudha governorates to turn them into well-developed beach areas and resorts, especially Palm and Umm Al-Gamari Islands. The GCTA is heavily involved in the development of the Historic District in Jeddah. It has drawn up programs for the improvement of the historic downtown area. – Okaz __
