JEDDAH, 5 July — The Jeddah Tourism Committee yesterday announced a competition among the city’s tourist villages as part of the ongoing summer festival.
The “first ever” competition is aimed at assessing the role and contribution of the resorts in preserving environment.
“We sent invitations to more than 80 tourist villages and 33 of them are taking part in the contest,” Dr. Asad Abu-Rizaiza, assistant professor, environmental engineering, King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU), told a press conference at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Abu-Rizaiza, who is among seven judges on the panel, said infrastructure and environment would be among the main factors considered for evaluation when the panelists visit the competing villages. “The idea in presenting the best tourist village award is to further create environmental awareness...,” he said and emphasized the role of the media in spreading education on the harmful effects of pollution.
While deciding the winning village, the panel will also consider factors like conservation of resources like water and electricity, maintenance of beaches, sewage treatment and waste disposal processes, greenery and panoramic setting, noise level, and upkeep and food quality in their restaurants.
The Jeddah Governorate, Ministry of Health, Meteorology and Environmental Protection Administration, Jeddah Municipality and King Abdul Aziz University, aside from the JCCI, are represented on the panel which will start visiting the villages from Saturday and declare the winner before the end of the festival on July 31. A ceremony will follow to present the winner with a commemorative plaque and certificate.
The judges include aside from Abu-Rizaiza, Dr. Talal Muhammad Ikram, MOH; Dr. Majed Hussain Hashim, KAAU; Muhammad Al-Qarsi, MEPA; Muhammad Abdul Raouf Abu Al-Jadayel and Mazen Khaled Qutbi, both of JCCI; and Najib Sabano, Jeddah Governorate.
