Makkah governor to resume outreach tour

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will resume today his field inspection tours of the various regions of the province. Over the next three days, he will visit four regions which are Taif, Tarabah, Al-Khormah and Ranyah.
Director of the department of studies and public relations in the Governorate Sultan Al-Dousary said the governor will start his day in Taif by launching the chair bearing his name for commitment to rules and regulations at the Taif University. He will also attend a graduation ceremony at the university.
He said on the first day of his visit, Prince Khaled will open a workshop at the Taif Techno Valley, chair a meeting of the local municipal council, meet with the city's dignitaries and heads of government departments and open the Taif 1433H festival.
The governor will review a number of development projects approved in this year's general budget consisting of 10 educational, nine electricity, seven health and 10 road projects in addition to other various municipal, water and agricultural schemes.
Taif, a summer resort, and the regions affiliated with it has a total area of 87,561 sq. km and a population of more than a million according to the 2010 census. The area of the city itself is 1,036 sq. km.
The municipal projects approved for Taif in the budget includes the rehabilitation of the Taif National Park, establishing open areas, pedestrian crossings and the development of tourist spots and parks in the northern and southern areas of the city.
About 28 projects were also approved for the university including the construction of student hostels and lecture halls. The seven health projects consisted of the construction of a hospital in Al-Hawiyyah district with a capacity of 200 beds and the furnishing and equipping of King Faisal hospital.
Since his appointment as governor of Makkah Province five years ago, Prince Khaled has made a point to make annual tours of all the regions of the province. Earlier this year he visited the regions of Al-Jammoum, Rabigh, Khulais, Al-Kamil and Jeddah.
During his visit to Tarabah, Prince Khaled will meet with members of the local council and will listen to the demands and requests of the residents which will, among others, include the establishment of a branch for Taif University in their area and expanding the capacity of the hospital from the current 30 beds to 200 beds.
The citizens demand the completion of the desalinated water project, provision of wireless communications networks, setting up branches for the Saudi Credit Bank and the Finance Ministry, construction of a center for the rehabilitation of the disabled and establishing department for the Civil Defense and the police.
Tarabah Gov. Khaled Al-Ruwais recalled that during his visit last year, the governor reviewed 38 ongoing or completed development projects and approved a 4-million sq. meters land for the housing project.
Al-Khormah Gov. Khaled bin Luwai said that during his visit to the region Prince Khaled will listen to the demands of the 60,000 inhabitants which will include the establishment of a number of colleges in the university, a scholarly institute and technical colleges for boys and girls.
He said the residents would also ask for the establishment of a literary club, a committee to protect children against family violence and a reconciliation committee to settle differences peacefully.
Luwai said the citizens would also call for the establishment of the two proposed industrial cities, a market for handicrafts, a welfare exhibition for the productive families and a dates festival.
Ranyah is the fourth and last leg of Prince Khaled's visit and Gov. Abdullah Al-Othaimeen said the citizens would ask for the establishment of a 200-bed capacity hospital to include child and maternity section and a number of health center to include a dental clinic.
He said the citizens would demand the addition of a number of colleges to their university including engineering, pharmacology and dentistry. He added that the citizens would also ask for increasing the number of Red Crescent ambulances, the expansion of roads, a sewage network, a labor office, a public library and a sports city.