Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will officially announce today the beginning of work on the implementation of the project to develop the western suburbs of Makkah. The project covers an area of 1.5 million sq. meters along the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway. Makkah Gate Company (MGC) will supervise the execution of the first investment project in the western side of the Holy City.

The company is an affiliate of the Al-Balad Al-Amin Company, which is entirely owned by the Makkah Municipality. The project is part of the comprehensive strategy to develop the Makkah region. It is aimed at expediting development of the western sections of Makkah through partnership between the public and private sectors. The two sectors will join hands to implement development projects according to a structural plan consisting of residential areas, public parks, mosques, service centers, entertainment and educational and health services. The structural plan covers a total area of 85 million sq. meters of which the parent company, Al-Balad Al-Amin, owns 60 million sq. meters.

The area which will be developed starts about 31 km from the Grand Mosque and extends north from the old Jeddah-Makkah Road to Al-Laith Road in the south. It is bordered by the ring road (Al-Shimaisi) from the west. The Jeddah-Makkah Expressway and the tracks of the Haramain Railway intersect the project from west to east. About 80 percent of the area of the project is within the boundaries of the Holy Haram. The project will include a university, medical centers, a national park and a comprehensive entertainment and educational complex in addition to cultural facilities, museums and heritage centers. The MGC is a limited liability company, which is an independent entity.

It is being managed by a nine-member board of directors chaired by the undersecretary of the Makkah Governorate. Half of the board members are from the government departments concerned and the other half are businessmen. The company is implementing a strategic development project that will be completed in 15 years. The Makkah Gate project will be a natural extension of the Holy City and will accommodate more than 600,000 people living in 40 districts.

Source: Arab News