MADINAH, 19 June 2006 — Madinah will have the Kingdom’s third mega economic city. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday laid the foundation stone for the SR25 billion project. It is expected to create more than 20,000 new jobs, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The king also announced that Prince Muhammad ibn Abdul Aziz Airport in Madinah had been converted into an international airport. The change was made because of Madinah’s significant role in the Islamic world and the growing number of pilgrims who visit the city every year. The new Knowledge Economic City in Madinah is composed of the Taiba Technological and Economic Information Center, an interactive museum on the Prophet’s life, a center for studies of Islamic civilization, and another center for medical studies, biosciences and integrated medical services.
King Abdullah issued the license to a group of investors to carry out the project that also includes housing for 200,000 as well as commercial centers. The main investors include the King Abdullah Foundation, Savola Group, Real Estate Projects Management and Development Company and Taiba Investment & Real Estate Development Company. Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) is the main developer of the project. Last December, the King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, near Jeddah, which is expected to draw SR100 billion in investment was launched. The king laid the foundation for the second city, Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Musaed Economic City in Hail last week. Investment projects worth SR30 billion will be implemented in the Hail city which is set to become a premier commerce and industry hub promoting a diversified economy in the Kingdom.
“The project aims to utilize the Kingdom’s second competitive advantage after energy — its strategic location as a link between East and West — and leverage it through the establishment of a fully integrated economic city providing transportation and logistics services,” said SAGIA Governor Amr Al-Dabbagh.
Commenting on the king’s decision to upgrade the status of Madinah airport, Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, said it would help citizens and pilgrims to enjoy improved travel facilities. It would also reduce the pressure on Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport which is the main gateway for pilgrims coming from abroad.
“This decision will boost economic sectors in the city, promote the welfare and prosperity of its people and create more job opportunities,” SPA quoted the crown prince as saying. “Following the royal decision, I have instructed the head of civil aviation to speed up implementation of the Madinah airport’s expansion in order to make it an international airport.”
Prince Sultan has already permitted some foreign airlines to bring pilgrims directly to Madinah during the Haj. Last year, the airport received about 800 Haj flights carrying more than 250,000 pilgrims. The new decision has increased the number of international airports in the Kingdom to four. The others are in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. King Abdullah made the announcement concerning the airport at a reception for him by the people of Madinah on Saturday night. There were calls by businessmen and ordinary citizens to grant Madinah airport international status amid the growing status of the city as a business and tourist center. Many historical and archaeological sites, including Madain Saleh, are located in the region.
The king launched a number of welfare projects worth SR9 billion yesterday and on Saturday. He laid the foundation stone for expansion projects at the Prophet’s Mosque to create room for 270,000 additional worshippers. The projects included expansion of the eastern courtyard of the mosque and the setting up of 182 large umbrellas to provide shade around the building.
Abdullah opened the first phase of the Taiba University campus project and laid the foundation for the second phase. The second phase includes the establishment of a 400-bed university hospital and five colleges for dentistry, pharmacology, applied sciences, computer engineering, and science.
