Participants in Makkah Economic Forum 2019 stressed the importance of boosting pull factors and searching for new ideas to achieve economic development in urban areas.
In the forum’s last day, Jeddah Mayor Saleh al-Turki said investments that don’t directly benefit the whole society are mainly useless.
He pointed out that Jeddah city’s main approach is to serve the citizens in a distinctive way and improve the life cycle in addition to enhancing the infrastructure in slum areas and districts that lack services.
Turki also talked about Jeddah Municipality’s policy towards slum areas, which amount to about 60, that need to be reconstructed and developed.
Regarding major projects and initiatives in the city, Turki said there are projects worth about SR2.7 billion ($720 million) and new projects that will be funded by about SR4.6 billion ($1.2 million) in light with improving living standards and the quality of life requirements.
He pointed out that Jeddah is qualified to be one of the world’s most important cities.
“There are new criteria to select and qualify contractors and partners to implement projects,” he stressed, adding that the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs reclassifies contractors according to competence factors.
The Mayor highlighted the importance of the historic and cultural Jeddah, underscoring UNESCO’s adoption of Historic Jeddah within its World Heritage List.
He explained that there are two approaches taken in the historical city. The first lies in preserving houses and the other lies in reconstructing the city as a whole.
This would transform it into an attractive area and revive it economically, helping create great investment opportunities.
He stressed that Riyadh stood out as a city with competitive advantages globally, adding that Jeddah was on the verge of implementing about 40 projects in the hospitality sector.
Five major projects are under study, three tunnels are being constructed and two tunnels under consideration, he said.
Turki also noted that the urban and demographic expansion in Jeddah was heading north with a strategy to guide it towards the east.
