MECCA MEGA PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED BY 2012

From Zainal Abdul Jalil

MECCA, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The Mayor of Mecca, Dr Osama Al-Bar, who is also a
member of the Central Haj Committee and Chairman and Chief Excecutive of the
Mecca Development Authority, has promised that a number of large projects
currently underway in the city will be completed by 2012.

The Saudi Gazette newspaper on Monday quoted Al-Bar as saying that King
Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, had ordered that the projects must
be completed by then.

Al-Bar said the projects earmarked included the King Abdul Aziz
Highway between Mecca and Jeddah, which will run parallel to the existing highway.

Construction had already started and that it would be a prototype for future
road development in the region, he said.

Another project is the construction of eight slaughter houses with modern
equipment with automatic cleaning system, which is also now nearing completion.

There are five other slaughter houses operating under the mayoralty's authority.

Al-Bar also said four pedestrian tunnels, named after King Abdullah, were now
being built.

The tunnels will connect the Al-Hujun and Al-Jarwal districts with the Grand
Mosque. These tunnels are expected to reduce people traffic in the area.

Al-Bar said nine stations, which are part of the multibillion railway project
linking Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifa, were also nearing completion.

He added that the King wanted other projects also completed by 2012, including
the new annex east of the Grand Mosque, the Jabal Omar project near the Grand
Mosque, and the high-speed rail in between Mecca and Medina.
-- BERNAMA