JEDDAH, 25 March 2006 — A feasibility study will be completed within the year to develop the area between Hada and Shafa into a major tourist center in this summer resort city, 230 kilometers southeast of Jeddah.
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs recently assigned Asem Arab, director of the Center for Economic and Administrative Studies in Riyadh, to conduct the study. The project is expected to attract billions of riyals in investment.
“We’ll start the study soon after the arrival of a group of 18 foreign experts this week. They will be joined by five Saudi experts,” Arab said about the SR4.85-million contract to conduct the study.
Speaking to Arab News, Arab said the project would include theme parks, star hotels, a zoo, a golf course, equestrian tracks, resorts, campsites, hiking areas and an observatory.
Arab hoped that once the study is completed, the area would attract new tourism projects worth three to four billion riyals. He said the strategic study would cover infrastructure facilities, including water and electricity.
“This project might turn out to be something similar to King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh as it will provide a lot of opportunities for private-sector investment,” he said.
One of this project’s goals is to attract as many tourists as possible and encourage domestic tourism, Arab said. He pointed out that Taif and surrounding areas enjoy salubrious weather around the year. At present Taif attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and holidaymakers from within the Kingdom and GCC countries every year.
“The new projects are planned to attract tourists and hopefully to strengthen the national economy,” Arab said.
