member company has been set up under the name “Board For Capital Investment to Develop Islamic Capital Makkah” for the development of unplanned districts in the holy city and provide modern amenities. The company has been formed as per the decision of the Council of Ministers, Dr. Osama Fadhl Al-Bar, Mayor of Makkah, told Saudi Gazette in an exclusive interview. The board, a semi-government body, will have the mayor of Makkah as its chairman. It will have five members from the government and five civilians and investors. The government members are Undersecretary of Makkah Mayoralty, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and a representative of the Council for Beautification of Makkah. The civilian members and investors are Engineer Saleh Bin Mahfooz, Anas Sairfi, Dr. Majdee Hareeri, Mazen Batterjee, and Mansoor Bin Saeed, said Al-Bar. The board, Al-Bar said, is a fully independent body and will not require any permission from government for implementing its projects or for expenses. It will develop infrastructure projects and raise funds. The monorail project for the city will also be executed under the supervision of the board, the mayor said. The board will evolve a comprehensive network of communications connecting the city's hotels and all other important places with all the major cities of the world. The mayor said the board will construct 5,000 individual apartments with modern amenities in the east of Makkah at Umm Al-Jood, in the west at Al-Sharaye and in the south in Al-Rasdiyyah, at affordable prices.
