Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, laid the foundation stone for 25,000 low-cost housing units at Khaleej Salman area here, Wednesday. This was in the presence of Prince Dr. Mansour Bin Mit'eb Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Jeddah Mayor Dr. Hani Abu Ras. Prince Khaled said this was a momentous day for Jeddah and its residents because the houses will suit the needs of Saudi nationals. “With these projects we are proud to shift from the haphazard and ramshackle districts to well-studied planned districts and projects,” Prince Khaled said. Mayor Abu Ras said the project is part of the royal directives to provide suitable and world-class alternative housing and building complexes to accommodate the city's growing population. He said the project is the first of its kind to be carried out by the Jeddah Urban Development Company, the state-owned entity tasked with setting up model residential districts with integrated services and utilities to meet the needs of different segments of society. He said this project will be constructed on an area of about three million square meters. The project will have educational, health, sports, recreation and religious facilities. The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs said the project is part of the greater plan to deal with unplanned districts in the city and provide low-cost housing. He added that the project is being closely monitored by Prince Khaled. Tariq Tulmusani, CEO of the Jeddah Urban Development Company, said the 25,000-housing unit project comprises 1,250 residential buildings. It will have 24 mosques, one hospital, two polyclinics, a water purification plant, a waste water treatment plant, a Red Crescent station, a police station and a center for people with special needs. There will also be seven schools for boys and seven for girls, restaurants and other facilities. – Saudi Gazette/SPA Caption: Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, reviews the low budget housing units in Khaleej Salman in Jeddah, Wednesday. (SPA) __
