JEDDAH, 7 August 2004 — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, will commission in Taif today a major power plant that cost SR240 million to build. He will also open the King Faisal Model Park covering an area of 260,000 square meters.
Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hosayn said the power project was carried out by a group of national and international companies in two years.
“This project will help supply electricity to a large part of Taif,” the minister said, adding that the plant would be linked with transformers in Wadi Leh, Maleesa, Qurawi, Qadeera, Shuhada and Shanabra.
Prince Abdullah, who arrived in Taif last Monday, laid the foundation stone for the SR600 million Taif-Baha-Abha Road, considered one of the main “development arteries” in the Kingdom, on Wednesday.
The new electricity project included a 61-km-380kv line linking Makkah with the summer resort. The plant would ensure uninterrupted power supply to the city, which receives more than two million tourists and holiday makers every year.
There are four power plants in Taif with a total capacity of 181 megawatt and 197,246 subscribers.
Referring to the King Faisal Park, Taif Municipal Chairman Muhammad Al-Mukhrej said the project, carried out by his municipality includes recreational centers and sports, cultural and educational facilities as well as an artificial lake.
One of the major tourist attractions in the city, the park is provided with facilities including toilets, parking areas and water tanks. The city of Taif is located in the western part of Saudi Arabia and comes under the Makkah governorate.
Also yesterday, Taif Governor Fahd Muammar opened the ninth GCC festival for popular arts in the city. GCC teams taking part in the festival presented a variety of cultural programs.
Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Fahd ibn Abdullah, deputy secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, attended the function.
