Makkah governor gives three years for Hada development

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has called for a fixed timeframe of up to three years to develop Hada west of Taif. He also ordered a working team to monitor the project's implementation. The team in charge of conducting a study on the Hada development project said they would finish the work in January 2012. “We have already completed 85 percent of the work including the development structure as well as a plan for making use of the property,” one team member said. The team presented a plan that would enable about 5 million people to reach Taif by road. The proposal also includes the establishment of a regional airport that can operate some international flights. This will enable more than 7 million people to reach the city by air. The study has taken into consideration the strategic position of Taif being closer to both Makkah and Jeddah. It also noticed that some real estate developers in Hada were not following the architectural style of the region. The study has taken into consideration the region’s tourism and agricultural potential. The study emphasized the need for more government spending to develop Hada’s infrastructure, training manpower and facilitating agricultural investment and production. It also called for more investment to preserve the region’s architectural heritage. The team stressed the need for making Hada a major tourist attraction in the region by developing its tourist facilities. The study has taken into consideration the models followed by Italy, France and Australia to develop their tourist cities. It has also put more emphasis on protecting Hada’s environment.