Knowledge Economic City Development Co. Ltd. (KEC) is once again at the forefront of development as it actively supports the Saudi government's activity for the coming Haj. In line with the approaching holy month, the Haj Committee in Madina has launched a 45-day Haj Operation Partnership Management Exhibition (Bonyan) in collaboration with other government and private agencies, aimed at providing pilgrims with the necessary information about the Kingdom's commitment to improve the country's facilities for the best interest of the pilgrims and successful performance of their religious activities. The exhibition is under the patronage of Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz, the Emir of Madina. The ongoing exhibition, which started on Nov. 3, is being held at the central area opposite the western side of the Prophet's Mosque and will end on Dec. 17. The exhibition also offers educational and awareness materials about Haj services to visitors to the Prophet's Mosque. The exhibition likewise distributes publications, leaflets and CDs of the participating agencies free of charge. The “Bonyan” activity serves as a link between the pilgrims and the sectors working together in serving the pilgrims and facilitating their movements to bring about a successful Haj observance. Knowledge Economic City, the gold sponsor of the exhibition, highlights its role in bridging and managing the collaborative efforts of the different sectors to foster a successful and smooth Haj undertaking as pilgrims throng the Prophet's Mosque. Commenting on the “Bonyan” exhibition, Engineer Taher Bawazir, CEO of the Knowledge Economic City, said: “We don't hesitate to support the activities and programs that reflect the bright picture of the Kingdom.” He explained that KEC considers participating as a sublime responsibility in order to foster interaction and achieve cooperation among Muslims coming from different parts of the world. “Besides this, our sponsorship comes within our support for the building of knowledge and to convey the message of our religion to every Muslim in all corners of the globe,” he added. Moreover, Bawazir said the exhibition aims at highlighting the “efforts being exerted by the government of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, with regard to the services being provided to the pilgrims and visitors to the Prophet's Mosque while performing Haj rites and visiting Madina.” KEC is one of the four economic cities that have been launched out of the planned six economic cities in the Kingdom. It has been designed to be a comprehensive community with smart environment over a land size of about 5 million sq. meters. The development includes residential, commercial, retail, hospitality, knowledge-based industries and healthcare. KEC offers a platform that will assist the transformation of the Kingdom's economy to knowledge-based one. The development of the KEC in Madina has been projected to create more than 20,000 jobs and attract an aggregate investment of more than SR30 billion. As planned, it will take approximately 10-12 years to complete the project.
