Fatima Muhammad

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Several developmental projects with a total value of SR13 billion have been finalized for the current fiscal year. Jeddah Municipality has finalized 29 projects and is working on 142 projects. No stalled projects were registered and the city still needs a further 24 municipal projects. Nineteen projects have been approved for this year with for a total of SR1.9 billions.



Fifteen electricity and strategic storing projects are ready to serve Jeddah residents while 33 projects are still under construction, 18 water projects are in need while 7 new projects have been approved for this year. Some 28 projects have been finalized in the environment sector, 59 still in process, two stalled projects, 16 needed projects, and 10 new approved project for this year. The total budget for water and environment projects this year is SR1.6 billion.



Jeddah has 8 finalized projects in the transportation sector, 24 still in process, five needed projects, and six approved projects for this year for a total value of SR2.3 billion.



Four projects of the  social affairs directorate have been stalled during to paucity of land, Abdullah Al-Tawi, head of the Directorate of Social Affairs in Jeddah, told Saudi Gazette.



Al-Tawi was speaking after a meeting of the Local Council for Development of Jeddah headed by Prince Mishal Bin Majed, Governor of Jeddah.



Al-Tawi said a plot of land has been allotted and he that hoped with further support from the governor other stall projects will also be under way soon.



"These are all vital projects, and we hope they will see the light of the day soon.”



There are a total of 17 stalled projects in Jeddah, two in environment services, two in electricity, two health affairs, seven in education and four in social affairs.



The Health Affairs has finalized 13 projects, has 30 projects still under construction, two stalled projects, 75 needed projects, four approved for this year for a total budget of SR 2.3 billion. While Education Directorate has done 12, has 58 projects in progress, seven stalled projects, 105 needed projects, and nine approved projects.



No one from the two ministries was available for comment about their stalled projects.



The governor urged officials to speed up finalizing the projects and study the reasons behind stalled projects and find solutions to re-launch them. He added that more projects will be launched in Jeddah to meet the demand of the the increasing population and to help serve its people in different education, health social, water and electricity sectors.



“We will pay every effort to provide these services to our people and to meet the ambition of the higher authorities,” he added.