Around 20 seating enclosures are being built on the Al-Uqair beach in the Eastern Province.

These enclosures, to be be fully equipped with water and electricity, will reflect the Islamic architectural style and the traditional oasis buildings in the Al-Ahsa region.

Al-Uqair Mayor Rashid Al-Maslami said that the municipality has set up a sand inscription location along the beach for the project, which will span 100 meters, and provide amateur sculptors with an area in which to practice their hobby.

“The welcome billboard has been installed and irrigation tanks are also in operation,” he said. “Bathrooms have been set up.”

“Al-Uqair’s municipality is implementing a maintenance project for the beach’s facilities to keep them in high standards for as long as possible,” he said.

Al-Ahsa Mayor Adel Al-Mulhim said the municipality awarded the first investment project along the beach, spanning 4,000 square meters, to an investment company. “The location has been handed over to a national investment company,” he said. “The municipality aims to attract private investment to contribute to the development of the Al-Ahsa region.”

Al-Uqair is an ancient fort of Islamic origin.

The development projects taking place aim to transform the area into an entertainment and tourism hub.

The projects also take into account the unique characteristics of Al-Uqair, such as its coastline, oases, desert terrain and cultural monuments and antiquities.

The Al-Ahsa Municipality is working in close cooperation with the the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) to link Al-Ahsa’s urban center with Al-Uqair’s coastal area.

The government has allocated SR1.4 billion in financial support to begin work on the project’s infrastructure.

The SCTA said that the project is expected to create 37,700 direct job opportunities and 56,000 seasonal jobs.