By Ibrahim Alawi
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The Motor Vehicle Periodic Inspection (MVPI) station in Jeddah will move to the new industrial city in Asfan within five months.
Emir of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has given the MVPI station until Sept. 20, the end of the current Hijra year, to shift from its present location in Al-Nuzha district in north Jeddah to the new industrial city in Asfan along the Hijrah Road linking Makkah and Madinah.
The prince ordered that all workshops and car repair centers near the station should also move to Asfan, where all light industries would be gathered.
Prince Khaled also instructed all random car workshops in various parts of Jeddah to move to the new industrial park.
The emir said the northern part of Jeddah should be beautified and rebuilt conforming to the city's architectural heritage. This area extends from Madinah Road in the west to Jeddah-Makkah Expressway in the east and includes the new King Abdulaziz International Airport.
"The arriving passengers should have a glimpse of the beauty of Jeddah once they set foot in the Kingdom," he said.
The beautification of the area will include the establishment of parks, extension of roads, building of mosques and schools and other government facilities.
The old industrial area in Al-Nuzha will be converted into a commercial and a residential district.
A substitute MVPI station opened recently in Kilo 10 along Makkah Road in south Jeddah. The center has 10 lanes for inspections, administration offices and a parking area that can accommodate more than 300 vehicles at a time.
