JEDDAH, 28 May 2006 — Interior Minister Prince Naif yesterday chaired a meeting of the high-level committee on Jizan in Riyadh and emphasized the need for the quick implementation of projects to meet the region’s present and future development requirements. The 11-member committee was set up by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to oversee Jizan’s development at par with other regions of the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The meeting studied prospects of establishing a higher authority for the development of Jizan, the agency said, adding that the authority would draft general policies to achieve speedy and balanced development of the region.
The committee, which included nine ministers, also discussed plans to remove qat plants being cultivated in the region.
It also focused on Jizan’s requirements in the areas of roads, water, agriculture, health, education and municipal services.
The government will also take steps to establish new industrial cities and cultural centers in the region and adopt measures to prevent flash floods and protect its environment.
“The meeting adopted a number of resolutions covering most topics on the agenda,” SPA said.
The government has already taken a number of steps to promote overall development of the region. King Abdullah approved the establishment of a university in Jizan last year and made allocations in the current budget for the project.
Jizan is one of the Kingdom’s richest agricultural regions, remarkable for both the quality and variety of its agricultural produce. It is notable for its production of coffee beans, grains (barley, millet and wheat) and fruits (apples, bananas, grapes, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papayas, plums and tamarinds). It runs along the Red Sea coast for almost 300 kilometers and includes some 100 islands.
