King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, inaugurated an exhibition highlighting the economic development projects scheduled to be launched, as well as those already undertaken during his era. Major development projects already underway and a number of future projects for cities in the Makkah region are on display as part of the celebration of the booming growth and development that Saudi Arabia is witnessing. At the opening ceremony Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah spoke about the King's ambitions and goals. Addressing the King, he said “I know quite well that your hopes and works are incomparable and unlimited,” Al-Faisal said. “It is a hopeful, historic moment and a blessed step toward a future with ambitions from all sectors, to take man and place to international levels, in a short time for a better tomorrow, for a better country.” He added that it was the King's ambition and directives which drove the conversion of ramshackle districts into modern neihborhoods in order to bring life in the Kingdom to an international standard. “It might be auspicious that this program starts with Khuzam Palace project, the palace of the founder of this great country, that later became important to the Arab and Islamic community and is no longer a desert where tribes fought against each other for water and pasture,” Al-Faisal said. Jeddah mayor, Adel Fakeeh said great efforts are being undertaken in re-planning the dilapidated districts of the Makkah region. “This forms part of a larger strategy that considers rehabilitation a mutual benefit to both society and the private sector,” he said. When speaking to the King the Mayor said that the Jeddah municipality prepared several studies on the plans to improve the city in order to meet the Kings expectations of growth and improvement. Yousof Al-Shalash, director of Dar Al-Arkan Company discussed the goals of his company in the development of Jeddah and its development is multi-faceted bringing in economics, social values, health and environmental concerns. “We need to work on these elements when building ensuring that we are improving the quality of living, expressing our culture and keep our historic heritage which distinguishes our Islamic identity,' he said. The celebration started with a theater presentation of 45 minutes that addressed the progress and development in the Makkah area. After a the presentation a show of fireworks took place which several spectators said was the most beautiful they had ever seen in the Kingdom. Equipped with interactive systems and divided into sections for every city in the region, the exhibition is now open to visitors for three months. It is expected to attract nearly half a million visitors). The package of projects for Makkah which King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, inaugurated on Saturday has come as part of a powerful vision of the government to make the holy city the world's most developed city, said Abdullah Saleh Kamel, chairman of constituent committee of Umm Al-Qura Company for Development and Construction. Included in the development package is the King Abdul Aziz Road project which occupies the pride of place in the ongoing construction activities in the holy city. The project, to be executed by Umm Al-Qura Company for Development and Construction, is considered the mainstay of the city's comprehensive development plan. The project, with full support from the King, will facilitate the movement of traffic through the most important entries to the Grand Mosque (Haram) and will provide a main gate to the city. “Several steps have already been taken for executing the giant project based on technical, administrative and developmental studies, taking into consideration the entire project's influencing aspects,” said Kamel. He said that the giant projects taking place in Makkah Region substantiate the concern of the country's rulers. The launching of several construction projects would change the face of the region, he said. Umm Al-Qura Company was established in 2005 by a Royal Decree for the vital project of development of King Abdul Aziz Road or “the Parallel Road.” King Abdul Aziz Road stretches from the western entrance of the holy city at the intersection of the Third Ring Road and Jeddah Highway all the way to intersect with the First Ring Road toward the east at Jebel Omar. Project goals Kamel said the project would establish a distinguished western entrance of Makkah that goes in accordance with the city's sanctity and importance through a separate two-way road facilitating the movement to and from the Haram area. It also aims to create a main gate of Makkah and a main center for traffic movement suitable for the ongoing development projects. The project is designed to provide environment-friendly transportation which would improve the quality of services introduced to pilgrims and provide an environment that is encouraging to the movement of pedestrians, he said. Within the development plan, the prayer plazas connected to the Grand Mosque will be expanded. In terms of development, Kamel said, the project will create opportunities of construction, development and investment from outside the domain of the Haram area to the city's western entrance and will produce an integrated set and a unique mixture of residential, commercial and office projects. It will also fundamentally contribute in boosting the current infrastructure and support the country's strategic plans. “The project was innovatively designed based on the concept of simultaneous and parallel movement of vehicles and pedestrians through a two-way 80-meter-wide road for vehicles and a 60-meter-wide road for pedestrians only linking the western entrance of the city to the Haram area,” Kamel said. Both roads would not intersect to ensure smmoth and safe traffic. King Abdul Aziz Road stretches toward the east through the heart of Jebel Omar Project until it meets the western and northern plazas of Haram. Different residential, commercial and office establishments will surround it”, Kamel said. – Okaz __
