Gulf Construction Online

Saudi Focus

In brief

01 June 2020

GACA in tie-up to build mosque

the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with Road Side Mosques Association aiming to finance the construction of a mosque for employees of the authority on one of the vital highways.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Jamal bin Abdullah Al-Fuwaires, Assistant to the President for Support Services, GACA, and Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Issa, CEO of Road Side Mosques Association (RSMA), reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The memorandum required RSMA to provide GACA with work stages approved by the supervising authority periodically, installing a camera at the work site and providing it with the authority to enter the site and follow-up on the work progress.

New CEO for Architectural Arts

the government has appointed Dr Sumayyah bint Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al Sulaiman, a specialist and expert in smart city designs, as the new CEO of Architectural Arts and Design Commission.

The new commission will be in charge of several functions through which it will develop the arts of architecture and design in all their domains, reported Saudi Gazette, citing a decree issued by Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan.

These include drawing up the sector’s strategy, laying down the regulations, issuing licences for related activities, encouraging investment in the field; and providing training courses and professional programs, supporting intellectual property rights in the pertinent fields, and other regulatory functions.

Housing plans for expat workers

Saudi authorities have finalised plans for the implementation of housing projects for thousands of expatriate workers in Madinah as part of the kingdom’s efforts to overcome the issue of overcrowding in the labour accommodations, said a report.

In April, Madinah Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman announced three pilot schemes to overcome the issue of overcrowding in the quarters accommodating workers from abroad, reported Arab News.

The initiatives have become even more important in the wake of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. The three projects spread over 39,000 sq m will help eliminate 40 per cent of accommodation problems for foreign workers, it stated. The housing plan was conceived not only in recognition of the urgent public health situation, but also as a long-term solution to the challenge of housing the large number of workers employed in the holy city, said the report.