أمين الطائف لـ«عكاظ»: بدعم القيادة..مشاريع تطويرية لتحسين المشهد الحضري

The Secretary of the Taif Governorate, Engineer Abdullah Khamees Al-Zaydi, confirmed that the rumors about the removal of informal neighborhoods in Taif are untrue. He stated, "There are currently no demolitions of properties, and what some are saying about the imminent execution of demolitions in the neighborhoods of the city is incorrect." He expressed hope that everyone would obtain accurate information from official and reliable sources and avoid rumors and misinformation. He added that any updates regarding this matter would be announced in due course.

Al-Zaydi explained, in an interview with "Okaz," the ease of traffic movement after unifying several routes in the streets of Taif, praising the directives, support, and follow-up of the Taif Governor, Prince Saud bin Nahar bin Saud bin Abdulaziz. He pointed out the implementation of several road projects. He stated that the works of the municipality and its projects focus on continuing urban development according to urban planning and efficient asset management, with advanced and smart infrastructure, sustainable urban policies and standards, improving the urban landscape, enabling demand, and stimulating housing supply in line with needs. The municipality also collaborates with the private sector to implement a range of diverse developmental and investment projects to support economic, social, cultural, and tourism aspects. Below is the text of the interview:

• What are the most prominent projects currently being implemented that will contribute to the development of the governorate?

•• There are many developmental and developmental projects currently being implemented in various locations in the governorate, contributing to enhancing the infrastructure for services, including projects to create vehicle bridges and pedestrian bridges, ongoing efforts to address visual distortion, implementing roads, squares, and buildings, establishing parks and pedestrian tracks, and public squares, as well as works to mitigate flood risks and drain rainwater by creating box and open culverts, and carrying out asphalting, sidewalks, and lighting.

The municipality is also working, in partnership with the private sector, to implement a range of diverse developmental and investment projects in Taif to support economic, social, cultural, and tourism aspects, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Taif has secured a number of investment projects in the field of infrastructure development, plans, recreational and tourist cities, therapeutic resorts, and the development of parks, public gardens, and sports fields, along with other projects that will bring about a significant shift in entertainment, tourism, and attractive activities and infrastructure services, thereby supporting the economic movement in the region and bringing about a qualitative leap in areas that enhance the quality of life.

The municipality continues its efforts to offer leading investment opportunities in distinctive service sectors and activities, as part of efforts to support investors and entrepreneurs in collaboration with governmental and private sectors to elevate tourism, entertainment, and service activities in general, to achieve the concept of financial sustainability, raise development rates, enhance quality of life elements, and support spending efficiency. The municipality works in partnership with all sectors to enhance development in the governorate and improve the services provided to residents and visitors, thereby elevating the options available for those wishing to tour and relax in Taif.



Sustainable Urban Standards

• What future projects does the Taif Municipality intend to implement?

•• The municipality has a strategic plan for its future works to keep pace with urban development in the governorate, in line with continuous population growth and urban expansion. The municipality aims to deliver basic services to everyone so that citizens and residents can benefit from the development efforts in our country. The municipality targets achieving the aspirations of the municipal sector, excellence in providing its services, ensuring the satisfaction of beneficiaries, and contributing to economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

• Where are the municipality's works concentrated in Taif?

•• The municipality's works and projects focus on continuing urban development according to urban planning and efficient asset management, with advanced and smart infrastructure, sustainable urban policies and standards, improving the urban landscape, enabling demand, and stimulating housing supply in line with needs.

It also works to provide distinguished services and a high level of compliance, innovation, and integration in services, while encouraging participation and social responsibility, providing a distinctive beneficiary experience, and initiatives that add value, with attention to the financial sustainability axis by developing municipal revenues, raising spending efficiency and financial planning, increasing private sector participation and privatization, and working to provide the necessary enablers to achieve these goals.

Hassan bin Thabit Street

• What is the status of the expansion works on Hassan bin Thabit and Khalid bin Al-Walid Streets?

•• Work is currently underway to remove properties located in the path of the expansion and development project for Khalid bin Al-Walid Street in the city center as part of its first phase. This street is one of the vital streets with high traffic density, serving many surrounding residential neighborhoods, and it connects traffic to several main axes in the city. The municipality is working to remove 200 properties along Khalid bin Al-Walid Street that have been expropriated for the project during the past period, and to deliver the determined compensations to property owners.

Services have been disconnected from these properties, and most of the properties have been removed. Once the project is completed, it will enhance the efficiency of traffic movement on this street, which receives vehicles entering the city from the western outlet, facilitating access for those coming via the Al-Khar - Al-Hada road, passing through the Bab Al-Hazm bridge, and speeding up the distribution of traffic on the main axes and streets. It will also significantly help alleviate the traffic congestion experienced on the street during peak times.

The project to rehabilitate Khalid bin Al-Walid Street in Taif is part of the developmental projects being implemented by the municipality in various locations in the city to support the plan to enhance the flexibility of traffic flow on the city's streets. This street is an important axis serving the streams of vehicles flowing from Al-Aziziyah, Shubra, Al-Sharqiyah, Al-Rayan, Al-Shuhada North, Al-Qamariyah, and Al-Nukhba, reaching the Al-Naseem neighborhood, and it connects to the new Al-Naseem bridge (which will be opened soon), which crosses King Khalid Road and links to the middle ring road.

The current removal works include properties from the end of King Saud Street, passing through Khalid bin Al-Walid Street, up to the Khalid bin Al-Walid Bridge located on the Wadi Waj Road. The expansion and rehabilitation project for the street contributes to the smooth absorption of larger numbers of vehicles heading from the west of the city to the east, and the flexibility of branching off to Wadi "Waj" Road.



• The residents of Al-Hawiya are waiting for the services provided to them... What has the Taif Municipality prepared for them?

•• Al-Hawiya is considered a main axis for municipal development and improvement, and the Taif Municipality has focused on enhancing its works and services in the northern axis, which is witnessing continuous population and urban growth. There is support for cleaning and public health works, asphalting, lighting, and paving, and the development of main streets such as Sixty Street in accordance with the updated executive regulations of urban boundary rules, which aligns with the approved uses for the city and is compatible from a planning and traffic perspective with regulatory requirements.

The municipality is working to enhance efforts to improve traffic movement in this axis, meeting the needs of residents, in addition to accommodating the heavy traffic that has significantly increased due to the presence of various government facilities.

The Taif Municipality has conducted important developmental studies for municipal services in the Al-Hawiya suburb, and several road projects and flood risk mitigation works and rainwater drainage have been implemented, along with park and beautification projects, sidewalks and lighting, works to address informal settlements, and a number of developmental needs have been raised to secure them in the upcoming period.

Eliminating Traffic Lights

• What is the truth about the removal of some neighborhoods in Taif?

•• There are currently no demolitions of properties in Taif, and the municipality is monitoring what some are saying about the imminent execution of demolitions in the neighborhoods of the city, which is incorrect. We hope everyone will obtain accurate information from official and reliable sources and avoid rumors and misinformation. Any updates regarding this matter will be announced in due course.

• Has the elimination of traffic lights had an impact on reducing congestion in Taif?

•• I believe so. We have a specialized committee in the municipality for transportation and traffic studies that conducts thorough studies of all streets, intersections, and squares, proposing appropriate solutions and alternatives to address traffic congestion to ensure smooth traffic flow on the internal road network. Traffic signals that cause congestion are gradually being removed and replaced with detour axes that can accommodate heavy traffic flow.

This has helped vehicle drivers and passengers reach their destinations more easily by freeing up traffic movement, reducing waiting times, and improving the flow of traffic during peak hours, as well as reducing congestion that was occurring in many locations.

The municipality also considers providing traffic safety measures that ensure the safety of pedestrians, establishing pedestrian bridges, speed bumps to reduce vehicle speeds, pedestrian lines, barriers, and directional signs. The removal of traffic signals has contributed to improving road efficiency and achieving smooth traffic flow in the city of Taif.

I would like to point out that the works to develop and improve traffic movement on the road network in Taif are subject to continuous monitoring and development, with regular enhancements to traffic safety measures. The efforts to study the treatment and development of intersections and traffic congestion points align with the municipality's endeavors to enhance the quality of life in the community by improving municipal services, primarily urban roads.



Linking Grants to the "GIS" System

• What about the grant plans in northern Taif?

•• The Taif Municipality is carrying out asphalting works in the streets of the grant plans located in the Al-Urfah area north of the governorate, as part of the efforts of the Projects Agency to rehabilitate infrastructure and provide municipal services, contributing to raising road efficiency and facilitating the movement of residents and improving traffic flow. These works come within the framework of supporting urban development in the northern axis of the city and keeping pace with population and urban growth in the new plans by delivering and developing municipal services according to density and growth indicators, in line with the strategic directions of the municipality.

The grant plans have been linked to the Geographic Information System (GIS) to improve service efficiency and enhance field response quality. The municipality continues to implement multiple projects in the grant plans, including enhancing infrastructure, developing internal transport services, and raising the quality of life by prioritizing and implementing projects based on the needs of the population density in each location.

As for northern Taif in general, there is a joint complementary coordination between the municipality and all relevant government sectors to enhance services in all axes, especially in northern Taif, due to the clear growth trend in this axis.



Implementation of the Al-Naseem Bridge

• What is the percentage of completion for the Al-Naseem Bridge and the King Khalid Road tunnel as well as the middle road?

•• Work is in the final phase of implementing the Al-Naseem Bridge at the intersection of King Khalid Road with Khalid bin Al-Walid Street, and the final touches are currently being applied to the project, with the completion of the adjacent roundabout bridge expected in the coming days, so that residents can benefit from the bridge in supporting the smooth flow of traffic at this pivotal and vital intersection, improving the intersection area and service roads, thereby supporting the municipality's efforts to ensure smooth traffic flow from the south of the city to the north and vice versa, especially since the project serves several neighborhoods, including: Al-Naseem, Al-San'ah, Al-Jal, Al-Bay'ah, King Fahd Plan, Al-Qamariyah, Al-Suhaili, Jabra, Al-Muntazah, and others. It also helps accommodate traffic flow to and from the airport road, the southern road, the gardens road, Hassan bin Thabit Road, Al-Jal Street, Wadi Waj, and ensures free movement for the heavy traffic flowing to and from Khalid bin Al-Walid commercial street.

The bridge will be linked in the future to the new middle ring road currently under construction. The Taif Municipality is working on developing several surrounding and connected streets to the project and implementing supportive projects as part of the city's humanization projects that align with comprehensive development plans, meet the needs of urban expansion and population spread, and contribute to encouraging development, investment, and tourism in Taif in line with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.