MAKKAH — The Ministry of Justice plans to enhance the judicial infrastructure of the Kingdom by building judicial cities and facilities in all areas of the Kingdom. The ministry has already started building penal courts in prisons and court houses in various cities including Riyadh, Madinah, Jazan, and the Eastern Province. The ministry's biggest and most recent plan is the Judicial City which will be built in Makkah. It is located on the Al-Huda-Taif Road near King Abdullah Medical City. The Ministry of Justice's general manager for projects, Saad Bin Aid Al-Hasmy, said the ministry has plans for developing judicial facilities in all areas of the Kingdom. He added that Minster of Justice Mohammed Al-Issa has instructed that a judicial city be built in Makkah. The city will contain four courts: General Court, Penal Court, Court of Appeals, and Personal Status Court. The first stage will see the construction of a parking lot with a capacity of 3,150 cars, a conference hall and a mosque with a capacity of 500 worshipers. The second stage will see the city further expand and include a branch of the ministry in Makkah, Court of Execution, Court of Labor and Court of Commerce. Al-Hasmy gave an overview of the size of the prospective city. He said the ministry aims to build a modern city as soon as possible and with the best blueprints designed to date. “The city will occupy 151,000 sq. meters with 179 court houses and 500 judges. The architectural design will incorporate Islamic and modern designs, keeping in mind the elderly and those with special needs,” he said.
