Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON) have agreed to establish new industrial zones.

At a meeting in the Makkah chamber’s offices, the two parties decided to form two working teams. The first team will look for lands to establish a new industrial zone in Makkah while the second will deal with problems of existing industrial zones.

Maher bin Saleh Jamal, chairman of MCCI, said the current year would usher in a new industrial renaissance in Makkah. He expressed his confidence in MODON and the plans for promoting activities in various industrial sectors.

Jamal discussed the incentives and numerous opportunities Makkah enjoys as a major Islamic hub and an attraction.

With 12 million visitors annually, the city has the highest number of hotels in the Kingdom.

Jamal called upon the different authorities to find consensual solutions to the problems facing the closed factories in the Makkah industrial zone and stressed the need for a new industrial city.

The government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah pays serious attention to Makkah and has been making large financial allocations for development projects in the holy city, he said.

Makkah is, for sure, an industrial zone with the state allocating around SR 723 billion to execute the comprehensive city plan. An amount of $ 23 billion has been allocated to rebuild Makkah, which includes train services and new bridges.

Jamal said Makkah is ideally suited to expand in the field of construction, including factories for cement, concrete mixing, cable, sanitary materials and glass.

There is also the need for expanding the holy city’s hospitality industry, he said.

He called for overwhelmingly supporting the Made-in-Makkah project of Makkah governorate.

“This project could contribute to the revitalization of many areas, including small-scale industries, especially packaging factories, support services and productive families’ projects,” he added.

Such projects contribute to GDP and have high potential for creating employment opportunities.

Saleh bin Ibrahim Rasheed, director general of MODON, referred to the direction given by King Abdullah for promoting the industrial sector as a vital source of income for the Kingdom.

He said the number of factories in the Kingdom has jumped to 5,400 by the end of 2013.

He acknowledged the challenges in finding land in Makkah to set up new industrial zones.

He, however, called on businessmen in Makkah to submit their applications for investing in the Second Industrial City in Jeddah, which is 60 km away from Makkah.This could be a viable alternative until the search for land in the holy city ends, he said.

The second Al-Ahsa city, which has an area of 300 million square meters, will be opened in the near future, he said. There ought to be a determined effort to turn Saudi Arabia’s dream of becoming an advanced industrial nation into reality.

He stressed that the authority is working toward motivating and encouraging small enterprises, and providing clean industries within urban communities for the benefit of women.

He said four sites have been demarcated and will be configured as work centers for women, residential complexes and industrial cities, as part of the effort for finding opportunities for young people to work in manufacturing.

Professor Hisham bin Abdul Aziz, president of the chamber’s industrial committee, thanked the Saudi Industrial Property Authority for organizing the meeting, adding that the event aimed to search for solutions to the problems facing the industrial sector in Makkah.