JEDDAH: A monumental $250 million structure similar to the London Eye or Millennium Wheel in Britain is to be built in Jeddah as part of the Jeddah City Center project.
Ghassan Al-Sulaiman, chairman of the City Center Development Company that is leading the project, and Florian Bollen, chairman of the Great Wheel Corporation, signed an agreement to build the “Jeddah Eye” at the office of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Tuesday night.
The gigantic Ferris wheel is expected to transform Jeddah’s skyline. “The Jeddah Eye is a future symbol of a modern Saudi Arabia and a message to the world that we are an important part of the international community,” said Prince Khaled.
The Jeddah Eye will be surrounded by buildings, including a hotel, a museum, shopping malls and a variety of restaurants and cafes. The central area will also have a park, a beach, a museum, an open arena for festivities and a fountain.
“This means that Jeddah will become the sixth city in the world chosen to host one of these prestigious and spectacular landmarks. Jeddah will join an exclusive international family of cities, which include London, Beijing and Singapore,” said Al-Sulaiman.
“The Great Wheel Corporation conducted a study in the Middle East and North African region and found that only two cities had the makings for hosting a great wheel project, with Jeddah being one of those two,” he added.
“Having traveled to Jeddah on several occasions over the past years I am impressed and very excited about this vibrant and forward looking city. The Jeddah Wheel will be a unique iconic structure that will attract worldwide attention. It will reflect the desire of the Kingdom to move up and become one of the leading global economic powers and will also substantially strengthen Jeddah’s position in the global tourism map,” said Bollen.
Forrest Cunliffe, CEO of the Pioneer Management Group and acting project manager, will supervise the development work.
“This project reflects the important place that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has in the international community. The wheel is a statement of intent and will cement Saudi Arabia’s place as a leading nation on the Middle East stage. We are very honored to be involved in this landmark project,” he said.
Construction will begin in 2009 with the hotel and wheel due to open in 2012. The hotel will have 350 rooms and restaurants. The wheel will be 150 meters high and is expected to attract an estimated 500,000 visitors each year.
