Projects begin as Saudi Arabia develops Taif into tourism hub

Work on Taif’s new development projects has begun, Makkah Governor Prince Khalid Al-Faisal has said, as the kingdom aims to turn the city into a tourism capital.

The projects include the new Taif International Airport, Souk Okaz City, the industrial city, a housing ministry’s project, as well as the technology oasis projects, Okaz newspaper has reported.

Taif is a mountainous city in the Makkah province. It is considered an unofficial summer getaway in the kingdom.

The housing project there is a new residential complex that spreads on a total area of 12 million square meters and is comprised of 10,589 residential units, 36 kindergartens, 28 schools, and several mosques.

Taif’s new airport in the northeast province of Taif is located 40 kilometers (km) away from the city of Taif and 120 km away from the city of Makkah on a total area of 48,000 square kilometers.

The first phase of the new airport will have only one terminal, with plans to increase its passenger capacity going forward.

A consortium of international firms was also mandated to design the technology oasis. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology and Morganti Group to implement the new project.

Meanwhile, the Souk Okaz City project aims to shift the Okaz market to a tourism destination throughout the year. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has commenced work in the project’s first phase.

The tourism hub valley, the Hada-Shifa project (Sahab Corniche), will be implemented on a total area of 390 square km. The Hada-Shifa national park will be 30 km-long and 13 km-wide.

The new facility will also include a hotel, a resort, a health and hospitalization center, a hub for serving Umrah and Hajj performers, and an agro-tourism center.

Other projects in Taif include a high-speed railway to Riyadh and a new port for dry bulk cargo.

The Saudi government is intent on reducing its dependence on oil, and tourism is part of the reforms going forward.