Mecca is expected to receive 30 million visitors by 2030. Hassan Ammar / AP Photo
Mecca is expected to receive 30 million visitors by 2030. Hassan Ammar / AP Photo

Saudi Arabia to develop mixed-use projects adjacent to two holy cities



Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, plans to develop mixed-use projects in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina that will contribute annually 15 billion Saudi riyals to the Arab world's largest economy by 2030.

The two companies, Rou’a Al Haram in Mecca and Rou’a Al Madinah, have been created and will be tasked with the development of the projects, which include hotels, residential units, commercial space, and museums. The developments are expected to serve the increase in worshippers to the two cities and create new revenue streams as part of the country’s Vision 2030 aimed at weaning the kingdom off oil income.

The companies’ “establishment is in line with Vision 2030, which aims to provide an opportunity for the largest possible number of Muslims to perform Hajj and Umrah, and to enrich and deepen their experience through the development of the Two Holy Mosques,” the fund said in two separate statements.

The fund didn’t disclose the cost of the projects.

The Mecca projects will create around 160,000 jobs by 2030, with an estimated annual contribution to GDP of 8bn riyals. Construction is expected to commence next year with completion of the first phase anticipated in 2024.

The Medina project will generate around 200,000 jobs, with an estimated annual contribution to GDP of 7bn riyals.Construction is due to start next year with the first phase of development expected to be completed by 2023.

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Read more:

Saudi Arabia's PIF to redevelop Jeddah corniche at a cost of 18bn riyals

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The number of visitors to Mecca is expected to rise to more than 30 million by 2030 and visitors to Medina to 23 million.

The first phase of the Rou'a Al Haram's projects will span an area of 854,000 square meters, delivering 115 buildings of various architectural designs. The development includes 70,000 new hotel rooms that can handle 310,000 visitors per day, 9,000 residential units, 360,000 square meters of commercial space and prayer areas for more than 400,000 worshipers. The project will take be located 1,430 meters away from the Holy Kaaba.
Rou'a Al Madinah will develop a 1.3 million square meter site nearly 1,000 metres away from the east wing of the Prophet's Mosque. The project includes constructing 500 new housing units and 80,000 hotel rooms, increasing hotel capacity to welcome 240,000 guests per day. The number of prayer areas will also be able to accommodate 200,000 worshipers per day. The development also includes commercial space, cultural centres and museums.

One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia

When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start

Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1

Tickets: Admission is free

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle

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Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

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Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

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The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 0

Manchester City 2

Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'

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Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes. 
Where to stay 
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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Name: Qyubic
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Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

Price: From Dh796,600

On sale: now

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

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