Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz has approved the construction of a $533 million project on a hill close to the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The project includes 11 high-rise residential towers consisting of 942 apartments, and a twin-tower five-star hotel with 1,200 rooms, the Arab News reported.

The Saudi government has been urged to regulate the ready-mix concrete industry and introduce national specifications for concrete works. The current standards were not suited to local conditions and raw materials, construction experts said at a seminar held by the local chapter of the American Concrete Institute, Arab News reported.

Saudi Arabia has signed contracts worth a total of SR420 million ($111.99 million) for a number of projects in various parts of the country. The contracts were signed by the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Muhammad Al Jarallah, the Arab News reported.

Established in 1977, Al-Tuwairqi Group (ATG) has emerged as a significant industrial organisation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ATG started as a trading house and later entered into manufacturing activities.