A special committee has been set up in Riyadh to tackle pollution in areas south of the city, comprising the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh (HCDR), the Health Ministry and Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon).
Riyadh Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar, president of the HCDR, approved the formation of the committee at the second meeting of the organization here recently.
During the meeting, the prince also announced that the HCDR plans to construct the Al-Aredh National Park in an area of 3,500 square meters in Wadi Hanifah from Al-Haisiah in the north and extending to the south.
Ibrahim bin Muhammad Al-Sultan, a member of the commission and head of the projects and planning center, said the park would protect and maintain the environmental assets in the area. Al-Sultan said the area would be open to the public as an entertainment location.
He said the HCDR adopted a plan to address the floods in Wadi Hanifah with a monitoring system and warning signs to protect lives and property in the area.
The meeting also approved a contract to implement the second phase of the project to develop Abu Bakr Road, which starts from the intersection on the Northern Ring Road until the intersection of Prince Salman Road, with two overpasses for vehicles.
The other contract approved during the meeting was to develop Prince Sattam Park in Wadi Laban. The project covers the basin area of the valley and the area around it. It includes lakes and 1.2-km water channels, pavements and rest areas. The location will have sewage networks, fire extinguishing systems, electricity and parking lots for vehicles.
The meeting approved a contract to improve areas around Al-Hakam Palace, to create jobs and beautify the district.
The meeting adopted the Urban Observatory's 2013 indicators on traffic, planning, transport and establishing stations to monitor air pollution levels in the city.
The meeting also approved a Health Ministry request to establish a medical tower with a capacity of 500 beds at King Saud Medical City.
Panel formed to tackle pollution in Riyadh
