Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will begin an inspection tour of major cities in the region on Sunday and open several development and welfare projects in Taif, Meesan, Kharma, Turba and Mawiya.

“During the tour Prince Khaled will inaugurate a health cities forum and an international rose festival in Taif on Sunday,” said Fahd bin Muammar, the governor of Taif.

He will also honor outstanding students of Taif University on Wednesday.

The two-day forum will discuss the role of various government departments, the private sector and businessmen in expanding health care services across the country. There are 25 health cities in various regions of the Kingdom.

Kharma Gov. Khaled bin Luay said a 300-km pipeline has been constructed recently to supply desalinated water from the Shuaiba plant to the city with a population of 60,000. He disclosed plans to establish a university branch and a 300-bed hospital in Kharma.

Meanwhile, Prince Khaled distributed Makkah Prize for Excellence and urged government departments in the region to compete with one another to win the prize.

The awards were received by Qawafil, SAPTCO and Hafil for its Haj and Umrah services; Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz Airport for administrative services; Jeddah Economic Forum for economic excellence; Education department’s Prophetic values program for cultural excellence; SEDCO project for social excellence; Makkah chamber building for architectural excellence; Al-Baik for environmental excellence; and Al-Faisaliyah School for scientific and technological excellence.