More than 33 government departments participated in a workshop at the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry (JCCI) on Saturday aimed at restructuring 300 buildings to make them handicapped people-friendly. Jeddah Municipality, Jeddah Traffic Office, Human Rights Society, Ministries of Social Affairs and Rural Affairs participated in the workshop titled “private and government buildings to be ready for receiving the handicapped.” “This workshop is designed to focus on the need for buildings to be equipped with special facilities for the handicapped. We are planning to establish certain standards for the construction of new buildings which will require handicapped facilities,” said Mustafa Kamal Sabri, General Secretary of JCCI. The JCCI, he said, has put in place a plan to restructure more than 300 private and government buildings during the coming eight months. “We will send a team of engineers, and consultants to cooperate with building contractors to discuss the construction of buildings according to the established standards,” he added. “JCCI and other sectors will cooperate to implement these projects,” he said. This program comes after discussions between the JCCI and other government sectors under the patronage of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, and Prince Mish'al Bin Majed, Governor of Jeddah. “We will not impose the implementation of this new plan on any sector. Instead we will explain the positive effect of the new plan and try to convince people about the importance of the project,” added Sabri. Sabri indicated the importance of cooperation between both private and government sectors to sell the largest amount of equipment for the handicapped at low prices.
