The Emir of Makkah, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, opened the new premises of the Jeddah Equestrian Club Monday on an extensive site with facilities available to the public free of charge. Launching the club on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Khaled was given a tour of the premises of the club and the recently-opened Park Hayatt Hotel and took a half-an-hour sea trip during which he described the site as “a turning-point in the history of the club and the tourist industry”. Osama Abalkhail, the Director General of the Equestrian Club in Makkah region, spoke at the opening ceremony, saying that the club would be a “meeting place for club members and businessmen, and a tourist, development and social facility for the region's residents”. Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah, Minister of Education, said that King Abdullah had instructed that three quarters of the new equestrian club's premises be open to the public free of charge. “The public area stretches from the club's south side to the Border Guard headquarters and has parks, recreation centers and high-quality services,” Prince Faisal said. The project covers an area of 140,000 square meters and boasts sports, health and social clubs for men and women, a hotel, a grand hall, a mosque, meeting halls, a marina area and a shopping mall.
