JEDDAH, 5 April 2007 — Mayor of Jeddah Adel Fakieh announced yesterday that Hadia Abdul Latif Jameel has agreed to establish, develop and maintain a public park on Prince Muhammad ibn Abdul Aziz Street in Al-Andalus district for the next 20 years.
The mayor said that the municipality is implementing a drive to develop public parks with the help of the private sector and individual patrons and called on the community to take part in fostering the development of more public space.
The mayor said that the city has identified 400 locations around this Red Sea coastal city of 2.3 million that are suitable and ready for development.
He noted that the sponsorship does not only involve public parks, but also any social activity that could benefit the residents of Jeddah. “The municipality would facilitate all the procedures for anyone interested in developing the public spaces in the city,” the mayor said.
On Saturday, Jeddah’s first such privately-funded public facility, Faisal Sports Park, was inaugurated after a three-year effort by an anonymous donor and the Friends of Jeddah Parks, a local non-governmental organization, to secure the land, contracting and paperwork.
The park, which includes two football pitches, basketball courts, running track, workout equipment and picnic spaces, was constructed in the low-income Al-Qurayat district of south Jeddah.
“This initiative has set an example for the whole city and has helped create a sense of social responsibility,” the mayor said.
The mayor emphasized that anyone interested in contributing to the development of parks in the municipality must do so through proper channels and must sign an agreement with local officials.
Any changes to the agreement, Fakieh said, must also be done through the municipality. Patrons must agree that the project will be free to the public and not a venture for private-sector publicity or profit.
