THE third Jeddah Industrial City has received a land boost following an announcement from Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al Faisal that 40 million sq m would be added to it to bring its total area to 60 million sq m.
The prince made the remarks while opening the 5th Industrial Forum organised by the industrial committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). The forum called for an industrial city to be set up in Bahra and for giving priority to industries that would carry the ‘Made in Makkah” label.
Speaking on the occasion, Prince Khaled said the kingdom’s leadership was keen to launch projects in the sectors of knowledge, industry and administration in order to improve services and facilities for both citizens and foreigners. “The world is watching us and is appreciative of the tremendous progress and development we have achieved in all walks of life,” he said. He also decried the attitude of some Saudi journalists and analysts who he said highlighted only the consumption aspect of Saudi society. He told industrialists in the gathering there was enough of consumption and now the focus should be on production.
Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al Rabiah touched on Saudi Arabia’s remarkable industrial development and lauded the efforts being made by Prince Khaled to promote the region’s industries and to remove obstacles faced by businessmen. He assured them the kingdom’s industrial cities would face massive expansions in the future that would meet their expectations.
Topics for discussion at the forum included the transfer of technology, the role of financial firms in supporting industry, financial impediments faced by industries, the problems of youths and the future of industry.
An agreement to enable Saudi youths to have greater involvement in the industrial sector was signed on the sidelines of the forum. The agreement aims to encourage young Saudis to invest in industries and signatories were Abdullah Al Mobti, chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Saleh Kamel, chairman of the JCCI.
