Riyadh – Decypha: The Holy City of Mecca, attracts millions of Muslims from all over the world for religious practices every year. Forecasts show that Mecca will receive for about five million Muslims by 2020 for the pilgrimage rituals alone. With such a large number, Muslims may find it difficult to properly complete their religious duties, according to experts; thus, the need for an expansion plan.
Recently, the Saudi Arabian government has revealed an ambitious plan for a giant project to expand the historic city and equip it with more facilities enabling it to host an even larger number of pilgrims and visitors annually.
Project Details
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Mecca region, has recently announced there is a plan to establish a number of large buildings in Mecca, including administrative buildings in addition to residential buildings, and several other buildings for diverse purposes, according to Arabian Business.
The announcement took place in late July, where Abdulaziz revealed in a press conference the details of Al Faisaliah –the project's name after its former name "Al Salmaniyah". He explained that it is considered an expansion of Mecca city, starting at the legitimate border of the holy capital, and ending at the western coast of Mecca, according to Al Khaleej Online. The project's new name was a sort of recognition of the late King Faisal's effort and care for the city of Mecca as Asharq Al Awsat reported.
Al Faisaliah project will be located on an area of 2,450 square meters, according to Al Khaleej. The project will comprise a governmental complex, including the governorate of Mecca Region, several diplomatic headquarters, a trade and business area, an Islamic centre that brings together all Islamic organization and foundations, in addition to an Islamic research centre, and facilities where meetings and conferences can be held, according to Arabian Business.
The project will also include a part allocated for residential areas, in addition to buildings for entertainment and educational purposes. There will also be parts allocated specifically for the agricultural and industrial facilities to be established. According to Al Faisal, the project will be established in accordance with the latest standards and systems of global smart cities, and the buildings will be practically distributed across the land allocated for the project to make efficient use of the available area.
The expansion of the Holy City of Mecca is expected to include an airport affiliated to King Abdulaziz airport, and a port affiliated to Jeddah Islamic port, according to Sabq.
In terms of the management of this major project, Al Faisal said that a specialized management will be handling the project under the supervision of Mecca Development Authority, alongside with a representative from the Saudi Arabia Investment Fund who will be link between the project and the authority responsible for developing the area.
Meetings and seminars are expected to take place soon with the private sector in order to examine the studies carried out for the project, exchange expertise, and put forward the plans to be implemented in the project, according to Sabq. Al Faisal has called upon the private sector specifically to take part in the project.
Expected Economic Benefits
Al Faisaliah project is considered one of the many efficient attempts by the government to diversify the economy of Saudi Arabia – a plan many other GCC countries are adopting together with the aim of reducing the economic reliance on oil. It is one of the major projects to be implemented within the framework of KSA's 2030 vision. The project is expected, with all its distinguishable advantages, to help KSA gain a great economic position across the world and improve Mecca's role in the Saudi Arabian economy, according to Al Khaleej online.
"The project will utilize the successful global experiments of pumping diverse economic investments as in the case of Singapore and Putrajaya city in Malaysia, and the development projects will be based on renewable energy and sustainable agriculture," Saudi Gazette said. It added that in addition to the project reducing the pressure on Mecca over the next 25 years, it also targets attracting 10 million visitors over the upcoming period.
"The project provides major opportunities for development in Mecca. During the designing phase, a lot of attention was paid to creating convenient investment opportunities in the project in order to create successful economic investments, generate jobs and promote the real estate sector," Sabq reported.
In terms of the residential aspect of the project, it is expected to provide at least 995,000 homes for nearly 700,000 families by 2050. Al Faisal pointed out that the project is also expected to accommodate 6.5 million people by that year, and provide about one million jobs in different sectors, including health, education, technology and services, according to Saudi Gazette.
Moreover, the project is expected to greatly promote the aviation sector through the establishment of the airport. It is also expected to improve the transportation sector through the port which will be able to receive yachts, ships, boats and water taxis.
As the local government seeks to expand its cities and equip them with better facilities, the Saudi Arabian economy looks promising with the development plans ahead over the next few years, leaving the world anticipating a display of the capabilities of the kingdom has without much reliance on oil.
By Reem Hosam El Dein
