JEDDAH, 25 July — Municipal authorities in Jeddah have embarked on a major project to reorganize 44 old and undeveloped districts of the city. “This is part of a long-term plan to find solutions to all logistic problems facing the city,” Abdullah Yahya Al-Muallami, the mayor of Jeddah, told Arab News.
He said the project, expected to be ready for implementation in six months, will focus on reducing traffic congestion in the city. According to a recent study, on an average, 12,000 traffic accidents occur in the city a month.
The project will take into account recreation needs of the public and will improve facilities along the Corniche.
The water shortage and sewage problems in the city will be solved and rainwater will be pumped out from water-clogged streets within 24 hours, the mayor said. Due to lack of proper planning, some parts of the city lagged behind others in meeting basic needs such as electricity, water and telephone connections as well as paved roads.
The municipality conducted a number of studies in recent years to reorganize the city which covers 6.8 percent of the Kingdom’s populated area and houses more than 2.5 million people.
Jeddah is a strategically located economic hub and is the gateway to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. About 60 percent of the Kingdom’s total imports come via Jeddah Islamic Port. Forty of the Kingdom’s top 100 businesses are based in Jeddah.
The city is also a major tourist spot, especially during summer, with many world-class hotels, chalets and recreation centers. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from within and outside the Kingdom visit the city every year.
Al-Muallami said the municipality has plans to speed up licensing procedures for commercial ventures in the city. “There are many other objectives which we want to realize, including restoration of utility services within 24 hours in case of a breakdown,” the mayor said.
The municipality has already started work on three major parks — the Cultural Park in Alhamra, the International Park at Prince Abdul Majeed Model Project in South Jeddah, and the Fruit Park.
“The international park is first of its kind and covers an area of 67,000 square meters. There will be pavilions for a number of Arab countries at the park,” he added.
The mayor also revealed a plan to establish three sandy beaches in North Corniche at a cost of SR60 million. “Efforts are under way to increase the number of recreation facilities for the public in South Corniche,” he pointed out.
