King Abdullah Tourist City

A city of special interest to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and to those who want to know about Islam and pilgrimages, as with a view to promoting tourism in the Kingdom, is planned at Jeddah’s Corniche on the Red Sea, according to the 4th of May, 2007 issue of the Haj and Umra Magazine, published by the Ministry of Hajj. The Jeddah Municipality has reportedly completed a preliminary study for the SR 250 million King Abdullah Tourist City on the Northern Corniche. It will be built on an area measuring over a million square metres. The majority of targeted visitors will be mostly Umrah and Hajj pilgrims. The project has been designed to attract 10 million tourists annually. According to the preliminary study conducted by the municipality, the tourists’ city will have six main sections. There will be a Quranic Park, which will be fully devoted to the Prophet’s (pbuh) stories. Sound effects and laser technology will be used to narrate the stories. According to Dr Ashraf Al-Turki, planning director of open areas in Jeddah Municipality, the idea behind the development is based on projecting all the stories narrated in the Holy Quran. “The latest audiovisual techniques will be used in presenting these stories. It will be done in a manner that will maintain the spirituality and sanctity of these stories, so believers may learn from them.” The most sophisticated acoustic system would be used to make the audience feel the sanctity of the place and the spirit of the stories. It will be used to show incidents mentioned in the Holy Quran, such as the building of Noah’s Ark and the sea splitting into two. The second most important section would be the cultural centre. This is a giant, educational centre where Umrah and Hajj rites will be theoretically explained and practically demonstrated to all Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. The rites will be demonstrated through documentaries in many languages. Visitors will be acquainted with all the new developmental projects carried out in the holy sites, which airm to facilitate the performance of the rituals. Several training courses will be organised for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to enable them to perform their rites with ease and in comfort. The third section will house hotels, ranging from three to five stars, in addition to an international bazaar where all Islamic countries’ products will be exhibited. A spacious conference centre where press conferences will be held, specially during the Hajj and Umrah seasons, will dominate the fourth section. An Islamic museum will be set up in the fifth part of the development. The museum will mainly display the Islamic heritage and antiquities during the Prophet’s (pbuh) era. The sixth and last section of the project is the residential area reserved for the workers in the city.