Jeddah
From The Report: Saudi Arabia 2013
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While Jeddah bears evidence of several decades of rapid, poorly-managed expansion, the city is now gearing itself to attract further private investment in a range of economic activities, with tourism and retail in particular well positioned for growth. The first phase of upgrades to Jeddah’s cornice, for example, was completed in December 2012 and includes new parks and outdoor leisure facilities for the city’s residents. Furthermore, rejuvenation plans are in the pipeline for the city centre, including the Heart of Jeddah project, which will incorporate elements such as a metro system, a traditional market, a convention centre and related hospitality venues. These developments could transform the city into a regional coastal resort hotspot. As for the city’s industrial sector, the government hopes that major transportation upgrades will help the region to better compete internationally.

This chapter includes an interview with Mazen Batterjee, Vice-Chairman, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Hani Mohammed Aburas, Jeddah Municipality Mayor.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

A look toward tomorrow: Authorities and residents make improvements to the city
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The second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, dates back to within 20 years of the Prophet Muhammad’s life. The city’s seaport is now the largest in the Kingdom and is complemented by a busy international airport. And while Jeddah is known to many as the country’s commercial capital, it is also the principal gateway for a growing number of Muslims who come from around the world to make the pilgrimage to Makkah. Investment The city bears evidence of several decades of rapid, poorly managed…

Interview

Mazen Batterjee, Vice-Chairman, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI): Interview
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Interview: Mazen Batterjee How has the political and economic uncertainty in other parts of the Middle East affected international interest in Saudi Arabia’s economy? MAZEN BATTERJEE: Of course there has been some impact, but this has only served to make the Saudi economy more solid. Social instability and weaknesses have been revealed elsewhere in the region, and in Saudi Arabia great steps have been taken to avoid civil unrest. The Kingdom has benefitted because many foreign investors who may…

Interview

OBG talks to Hani Mohammed Aburas, Mayor of Jeddah
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Interview: Hani Mohammed Aburas What are the municipality’s priorities for addressing the issues of illegal settlements in Jeddah? HANI MOHAMMED ABURAS: Regarding the slum areas, this issue has been given top priority by the government of Saudi Arabia. The work began four years ago with a bylaw that established four categories of illegal settlements. The first is a category of areas with potential for public-private partnerships (PPPs). In Jeddah we have two such projects. The remaining three…

Analysis

Affordable demand: Opportunities in the housing market grow as the population increases
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One of Jeddah’s most pressing needs is a vast supply of new housing, both to cater for an expanding population and improve the quality of living for those in unplanned settlements. Growing 1.5% each year, Jeddah’s population is projected to be 13% higher in 2015 than in 2010, according to the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company (JDURC). By 2025 that figure will be 28% higher. This pressure is expected to make for an annual need of over 43,000 new housing units by 2015, and growing…

Analysis

On track: Development projects under way to improve movement
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The government is committing vast resources to transportation infrastructure in many regions around the Kingdom. Jeddah is perhaps seeing the benefits of this spending more than anywhere else: alongside multiphase expansion plans for the international airport and Jeddah Islamic Port, Jeddah’s land transportation is witnessing unprecedented development. High-Speed Rail Pilgrims en route to Makkah, tourists from around the Gulf, businesspeople heading from Jeddah to multibillion-dollar economic…

Analysis

Improving disposal: The government and private sector move to tackle waste management
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Alongside the rapid expansion of Jeddah’s area and population in recent decades is a raft of environmental problems, including the spill of both solid and liquid waste. Over the last decades, limited government funding, inadequate planning and low public awareness have combined to pose a serious threat to the city’s environment. But the past few years have seen a new sense of urgency in dealing with these issues – in part motivated by the unusually severe flooding in Jeddah in 2009 and 2011,…