A government study has revealed that more than 300 projects in construction and other sectors in the western Saudi town of Makkah have been blocked because of poor management, widespread courtesy among officials and other reasons.
The study, which was presented at a seminar held in the Western Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah at the weekend, was reported by Okaz and other Arabic language papers.
It showed there are 755 projects are under construction while 228 others have not been approved by the competent authorities. The study said 36 other projects are under tendering and 31 are being considered.
“The study pointed out that more than 300 projects in Makkah have either faltered or have been delayed,” Okaz Dailysaid.
It quoted the study as saying the faltering ventures include six infrastructure and construction projects, two in transport, seven in the economic sector, 116 municipal projects, 103 in education and the rest in health and public works.
“The study cited nine reasons for the failure of those projects including lack of qualified engineers, absence of efficient management of projects and prevailing courtesy among officials,” the paper said without making clear how courtesy is affecting projects.
But it quoted the Makkah region undersecretary Abdul Aziz Al Khudairi as telling the seminar that there is a plan to save faltering projects in the city.
“We have drafted a 10-year plan to transform faltering projects to delayed projects as a first step to have them restarted and delivered on schedule,” he said.
The paper quoted other officials as saying a large part of the projects announced by the Saudi government over the past few years are based in Makkah given the huge value of such projects involving expansion of the Grand Mosque and Makkah Train.
