As part of the Jeddah Municipality's plan to construct 100 new gardens in the city, a garden per week at an average, Mayor Adel Fakeih inaugurated two gardens at Abu Bakr Siddiq Mosque in Al-Basateen District and the Dawah Mosque in Mohammadia District last week. “The department of parks and landscaping at the Jeddah Mayoralty is focusing on constructing more gardens and parks for recreational purposes,” said Bahjat Hamwah, Director of Parks and Landscaping at Jeddah Mayoralty, while admitting that “there are not many parks and gardens in Jeddah for its residents”. “When there will be enough recreational areas in the city families will not resort to making picnics in other green areas, which are not safe for them, especially for the children,” Hamwah said. He said the one-garden-per-week program targets different districts of Jeddah, especially the populated ones. Hamwah informed that the municipality is working on an “SR185 million irrigation system project that will be completed in two years, after which there will be a direct supply of irrigation water for gardens, which means that tankers that are currently employed for this purpose will not be used anymore”. Mayor Fakeih, while inspecting the gardens, its lighting system, playgrounds, irrigation system, hygiene and maintenance, said that residents of Jeddah should take care and help maintain the city's parks and gardens, which are important for fresh air, leisure and recreational purposes. The garden at the Abu Bakr Siddiq Mosque is spread over 2,600 sq. meters, of which 1,500 sq. meters is green space, comprising 830 bushes, plants and trees, while the Dawah Mosque garden is spread over 3,000 sq. meters and has 1,500 sq. meters of green area and 2,000 sq. meters comprising of a playground and a walking area. “We should take care of our mosques and its gardens as our mosques are our country's treasures and need to be beautified in order that they provide the right spiritual atmosphere for our citizens,” Hamwah said. Appealing to the residents of Jeddah, Hamwah called for their help in the protection and maintenance of the gardens and the environment in general so that the “goal of the beautification of Jeddah and a friendly environment is met”. Additionally, the municipality plans to construct 66 gardens in airport areas and 122 gardens in New Jeddah areas. “We are in the final stages of work on a 13-km stretch of the Corniche as part of a beautification project that our department has been doing since three months. It involves the construction of more green zones and safe picnicking areas for families on the Corniche. Some of the lakes and ponds at the Corniche are being turned into green areas,” added Hamwah.
