This speech, delivered by the Honourable Emir on 22/01/1430 H, in the original Arabic is rendered into
English by Dr. Syed Saleem Husain (Saleem Saim) & Dr. Ashraf Soubh, Asstt.
Professors in the Faculty of Applied Medical sciences, Jazan University, Jazan.
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, MOST BENEFICENT, MOST
MERCIFUL
Jazan University is the fastest
developing university, governed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. It was established in Jazan city, under the generous patronage of
the Custodian of the two Holy Shrines, King Abdul Aziz and the ever guiding, able
leadership of the Emir of Jazan Province, in the year 2006 AD.
Recently Jazan University had
the privilege of having the Honorable Royal Prince, the Emir of Jazan Province Mohammad
Bin Nasir Bin Abdul Aziz as the chief guest at the Inauguration Ceremony of The
Second Cultural Festival, organized in the grand auditorium of the university,
at 06:00 pm, on 22/01/1430 H. The function was attended by a large august
gathering, comprising the President of Jazan University, Honorable Prof.
Mohammad Bin Ali Alhayazie, other prominent office bearers and the faculty
members from various colleges.
At this gala occasion the
honorable Emir delivered a speech, entitled “Development of Jazan District
after the kind visit of The Custodian of the two Holy Shrines, His Majesty King
Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz”.
The main points of his speech
are as follows:
Ø
Good evening to
all the attendees present in this august gathering, at this beautiful night. I
feel overwhelmed with happiness at this occasion and recall the time when I was
studying in the university until graduation. Many years later, today I am here
to deliver a speech. Salam and greetings to everyone again.
Ø
Dear students, my
children, you are the promising future of the kingdom. Do your best for the
betterment of this country.
Ø
It is important to make a dialogue with you,
based on your enlightened mind rather than your fervent emotions. My speech
will focus on the quality education to fulfill the real need of our society. In
this perspective, we appreciate the role of university to develop the creative
thinking of students so that they can interact with the modern and realistic
knowledge of creative people of our time.
Ø
Our great country
has set up many educational institutions with the aim of encouragement of the
talented and creative persons so that they can become the pioneers and
inventors in different areas of science.
Ø
What I intend to
say is to create a useful link between the university and development of the
environment as well as the people living in this area. I also hope that the
people who have gathered here will contribute to the local development and work
for themselves and for their own society. I think one of the main pillars of
success in life is to respect and value time. Our religion urges us to observe
the special prayer times, and I think, this is the hallmark of a civilized
society.
Ø
Dear children,
education is in full swing in this grand university and after some years a very
large sprawling campus, at the Red Sea coast, will be handed over to you.
Ø
For this gift and
a lot many others, we are indebted to the Custodian of the two Holy Shrines,
may Allah save and protect him. He is well known to have launched the ambitious
and magnanimous economic projects like sustainable development, balanced
development and panoramic development. These projects are the responsibility of
the executive sector of our country. These developments are the fruits of
efficient planning and pragmatic thinking which are now coming to reality.
Ø
Officials in
different authorities of the country are visiting everywhere to evaluate the
needs of these projects. And from our side it is required that we claim the
financial support to go on as decided in the correct way according to the
project.
Sustainable Development:
Ø
We aim at
developing cities with stronger commercial links to fulfill the present needs
and to pave way for the coming generations to build their dreams on it.
Ø
The sustainable
development requires the improvement of the standard of living for all people
without overusing the natural resources to a degree that passively affect the
people.
Ø
The sustainable
development is in three main fields: the economic growth, preserving natural
resources and social development.
Ø
One of the main
challenges of sustainable development is to eradicate poverty through supporting
balanced types of production and consumption without overusing the natural
resources. Therefore the sustainable development is a leading factor to raise
the production level on all fronts. To do this we should raise the different
skills and encourage opportunities needed for sustainable development to
accommodate less polluting industries so that the quality of life for all
individuals is improved.
Ø
So the most
important objective of the sustainable development is to achieve the following:
1.
Water
2. Food
3.
Health
4.
Income
5.
Housing and Services
6.
Information Technology
Ø
Referring to the
IT (information technology), training of students of
Jazan
University on this new and unlimited technology is important for developing the
society economically and environmentally. This technology is important for
graduating students to get lucrative jobs.
Ø
We aim at
enhancing the activities of research and development in the fields of new
Material Technology, Information Technology, Communication Technology and
Biotechnology by establishing sustainable mechanism.
Ø
We are improving
the performance of private sector for sharing new technologies and introduce
new methods.
Ø
We are increasing
our capabilities in Science & Technology to be at par with our counterparts
to boost the growth of our economy, to create new job opportunities and
consequently reduce the poverty level.
Ø
We are adopting
new technologies with plans for social and economic development, keeping pace
with latest trends in IT.
Ø
We are drafting
national policies for inventions and new strategies in information and
communication technology.
Ø
I think in order
to achieve the desired type of development we should endorse the balanced
development along with that, particularly in our positive efforts to pursue modernization
for our societies.
Ø
Balanced Development: This type of development is to achieve equal
development in different districts of our kingdom. This goal is getting a
special attention of the Custodian of the two Holy Shrines, king Abdul Aziz and
his successor the Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. May Allah save them.
The
superior ruling leadership represented by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the
Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines, and his successor the Crown Prince Sultan
Bin Abdul Aziz, have a particular attention to evaluate the executive
authorities so that there are left no poor performance outlets. All these
efforts are integrated in one circle to achieve the welfare and prosperity of
our people wherever they live.
Ø
Balanced Development of the kingdom: The ruling leadership has confirmed the necessity of
paying visits to all districts to ensure that everything is alright. They meet
citizens and listen to their viewpoints and try to solve their problems.
The
ruling leadership has highlighted the importance of meeting the intellectual
elite of the society to discuss the pathways of development and root out the
problems that hinder them.
All
these efforts are integrated with the efforts of the executive sector to
achieve our superior objectives.
Ø
Balanced Development in Jazan: As mentioned before in the speech of the Custodian of
the Two Holy shrines, His Excellence highlighted the importance of panoramic
development of Jazan. His statement reads: “You shall have a promising future,
inshaAllah, in Jazan at all levels of development: industrial, agricultural and
superior marine transportation.”
The
pathway of developmental process of Jazan has been retarded for some time, but
now it is a special duty of all of us to prepare ourselves to terminate this
situation and replace it by a comprehensive developmental plan for Jazan.
Therefore
our plans aim at:
1) Projects under execution
2) Projects with specified budgets on 1430/1431h.
3) Strategic Projects in the district.
4) Spotlight around the 10 year plan.
PROJECTS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR SOME ADMINISTRATION SERVICES
S. NO.
ADMINISTRATION NO. OF
PROJECTS BUDGET
1. Syndicate 129 SR 3,600,000, 000
2. Health affairs 22 SR 1,448,000,000
3. Administration of Higher 59 SR 317,465,423
Education (Boys)
1.
Administration of
Higher 78 SR 473,771,518
Education
(Girls)
2.
Water Administration 72 SR 2,114,000,000
Sector
6. Road Transport Sector 2800 Km SR 2 ,367,000,000
TOTAL BUDJET FOR PROJECTS SR 10,320,236,000
INSIGHTS ON SOME FUNDED
PROJECTS IN JAZAN
HEALTH SECTOR:
There is no doubt that the patients
can realize that health is like a crown to the healthy persons. Because of
higher population density the health projects take the priority. To serve the
multiple regions within the district advanced health services are urgently
needed. This will provide a good alternate for traveling abroad to take the
medical treatment.
It is promised that the
1430/1431 Budget for the health sector will be SR 652 million.
The total budget of the
health sector during the past years is more than two thousand million SR which
is the biggest of all budgets allocated for MOH right from its inception.
Following serve the examples:
DARB HOSPITAL: 50 beds
BEESH HOSPIATL: 100 beds
RAITH HOSPITAL: 50 beds
AIDANI HOSPITAL: 50 beds
KHOBA HOSPITAL: 50 beds
BANI MALEK HOSPITAL: 50 beds
These hospitals will lead to
maintain specific and remarkable health services for people of this area.
Others examples are as
follows:
THE MEDICAL TOWER OF JAZAN
UNIVERSITY: 200 beds
The new MEDICAL CITY which is
inaugurated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines includes a Tropical
Hospital having 200 beds.
SPECIAL MEDICAL HOSPITAL
having 500 beds with a budget of SR 350 million.
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MENTAL
HEALTH HOSPITAL WITH
200 BEDS
·
We have signed
the contract of one of the important projects lately on the coast road “Jeddah-
Jazan” stretching to 230 km length and costing 600 million SR.
·
That road is
beside some agriculture and side way roads.
·
The new budget
for the transportation ministry for this year 1430- 1431 H is 887,770 SR.
·
Sea transportation:
·
It serves a very
important region in the field of development of Farasan Island which depends on
the sea transportation. According to the
directions of the Custodian of the two Holy Shrines for building two modern
traveler ships. The ministry of finance started to finance these ships and to
rent another ships that costs 68 million SR for the next two years. It is
expected to be extended for another year that costs 41 million SR. It is
assumed to be from Jazan to Farasan and vice versa twice a day. The ships will
be ready to operate at the end of this year. The ships have been.
·
The passenger
stations in Jazan and Farasan will be improved.
Agriculture:
·
In agriculture
field as an example, the Ministry of Agriculture has delivered 22 pieces of investment to
invest for shrimp agriculture. In his visit to the area the Custodian of the
two Holy Shrines has opened the first stage of the Arabian Shrimp Agriculture
by a capital of thousand million SR, to produce 35 thousand ton of shrimps. That
is beside some other projects for investment which will serve 3000 job
opportunity to Saudis, one third of which being reserved for females.
·
Other projects
are established in Soarma to produce 600 job opportunities for the district
people.
·
Also the island
coast project for farming of shrimps will produce 793 job opportunities, 113 of
them being reserved for females.
·
The Ministry of
Agriculture has been working on some projects worth 25 million SR for fishermen
such as building of marina which will serve 2200 fishermen and other fishing
workers, besides 500 ordinary fishing boats and 10 industrial ships.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS:
·
It is worth
mentioning Jazan as food basket of the kingdom as it has been trading in
agriculture for ages. The last year Jazan produced a huge number of tropical
fruits. The planted trees number more than 170,000, 80,000 fruit bearing trees
produce 401,000 tons of mango, fig, guava, banana and papaya.
·
89,797 tons of
maize is produced.
·
10,671 tons of
vegetables were produced.
·
2,923 spots
containing about 335,000 cells for production of honey are established.
·
10,000 tons of
fish and shrimp were produced last year only.
·
A museum for
fossils has been established in Jazan at the budget of 46 million SR.
·
In Hafa a building
of marine port has been constructed at the cost of 69 million SR.
·
190 million SR
have been allocated for building of dry field and a factory for manufacture of
food for livestock.
JAZAN UNIVERSITY;
A
university is said to be a factory for production of literate persons. It is
the original field of development that improves qualifications and
specializations of persons needed to serve the country. Therefore the Custodian
of two Holy Shrines has generously sanctioned the building of University City,
divided into two parts, one for the male and another for the female, spreading
on the area of 4 million square Km.
·
The total of new
projects that are under construction cost 2,926,036,000 SR.
·
As we know presently the university has 12
faculties, but the new establishment will have 5 more new faculties, that are:
Dental, Pharmacy, Health Science, for both males and females, and Business
Administration with a huge capital of 720,720,000 SR.
·
Approximately 550
million SR would be spent on building the first phase of housing complex for
the faculty members.
·
289 million SR
are allocated for completion of the four projects.
·
6 new projects
643 million SR are allocated for Faculties of Business Administration, Dental
and Pharmacy.
·
Some extra
facilities are added to the faculties in Jazan with a cost of 335,000,000 SR.
STRATEGIC CONSTRUCTIONS IN JAZAN
In order to complete the network of serving citizen
and to produce the highest degree of performance,
the country intends to complete the following projects:
·
New King Abd
Allah International Airport
·
Farasan Airport
which would turn to be a great image for the island and would serve its tourists,
businessmen and natives.
·
Water
purification station in Jazan.
·
Railways projects
from Jeddah to Jazan.
·
The Industrial
City project spreading on one million square meter area.
·
Jazan Industrial
City which would include a number of huge special factories is expected to
improve the economic and social developmental condition. Some of these
factories are as follows:
i)
Aluminium Fabrication
Factory.
ii)
Car Manufacturing
Company.
iii)
Ships
Manufacturing Company.
·
A number of other
industries would also be established which would create job opportunities for
500,000 males and females.
·
Besides that one
thousand select students would travel to Malaysia to pursue their higher
education.
·
Industrial Marine
Port in Jazan.
Highlights
of the 20th Plan for Jazan
Plan Area: Jazan
·
Jazan is one of
the highly populated cities in the
kingdom
1,300,000
persons are living in 3800 cities and villages.
·
The population
rate is 4.8% per year which is one of the highest rates in the kingdom.
·
There is a
geographic variation in nature in Jazan where you find green area, high
mountains, wide coasts and great number of islands interspersed in the Red Sea
and near to the African Horn.
·
Development of
the area is late behind the schedule and the living condition of population is
hard and less than the needed standards. The reason for this is due to:
i)
The great length
of the coast.
ii)
The hard mountain
limits.
iii)
Decrease in the
financial support.
iv)
Shortage of
qualified technical and administrative hands.
v)
Poor construction
projects.
vi)
Zero use of first
economic mutation.
· The main profession of people living in Jazan is
agriculture, fishing, raising sheep and cattle. These traditional activities
are chiefly dependent on rains and floods. Because of the limited quantity of
water most of the native people have migrated to the greener pastures.
OBJECTIVES
OF THE TENTH PLAN
· To highlight what is needed now and in future for
Jazan.
· To estimate the total cost which has to be incurred on
having infrastructures for realizing services and public projects.
PHASES
OF THE TENTH PLAN
· Preparation Phase
· Revision Phase
· Execution Phase
PREPARATION
PHASE
A
ministerial committee headed by the Honorable Royal of the Ministry of Interior
has been constituted. This committee consists of a reasonable number of ministers encompassing
different services.
Its
main duty is to prepare a charter for urgent and future developmental needs.
This committee has given a number of
suggestions which are
Summarized in one decision concerning
the present situation
in Jazan and its needs in all
spheres, during the next coming ten years.
In
1426 H, the tenth plan was prepared for
some services in Jazan, this plan will, inshaAllah, be submitted to the Honorable Royal, the
Minister of Interior for a discussion in a meeting of the Ministerial committee
whereupon it will be submitted to the Custodian of the two Holy Shrines.
REVISION
PHASE
The
committee in its 6th meeting studied the comprehensive report
concerning the current situation and its needs for the next decade in the different fields.
Based
on the ministerial decision 153 released on 28/5/1924 H, a committee has been
constituted which consists of the
Honorable Royal Prince of Jazan and both of the Minister of Finance and the
Minister of Economy and Planning.
MAIN
DUTIES OF THIS COMMITTEE
· To revise the budget for the 10th plan
according to the requirements of each minister concerned.
· To determine allocation of the necessary budget for
environmental recovery.
· To determine allocation of the budget for urban
cities.
· To determine
expenditure to be incurred on execution of the housing projects for the
university staff.
· To make available 3 passenger ships between Jazan and
Farasan Island.
· A perusal for what was determined concerning other
budgets before the ministerial council 153, on 28/5/1425 H.
So more than 3 years later on the
plan prepared on 1426 H, a number of variables existed such as increase in
price of building materials, economic and social changes. These result in
appearance of additional developmental needs.
Therefore, the developmental
plan should be revised again to accommodate these changes; accordingly a
committee for planning and follow up emerges from the ministerial council that would
be responsible for coordination with the governmental institutions to put forth
the action plan of 1426 H.
As a result of these a
revised plan was developed including all the new elements that were needed
before concerning the social and economic developments for the sake of Jazan
district. The following are the main elements of this future plans:
1) Increasing the financial costs of projects included in
the tenth plan by 52%, noting that the inflation rate is exceeding this ratio.
2) Presence of some vital mega projects viz. The Economic
City, Industrial City, King Abdullah City, Jazan Port and Oil Filtration
system. These projects need enough budgets to fulfill the urgent needs for both
public and private sectors.
3) Considering the unique location of Jazan district and
the expected increase in the birth rate, the demographic dimension and
associated development should be included in the plan.
4) The unique location of Jazan and its short distance
from the African Horn generally add slight burden over the available services.
5) The need to establish an integrated infrastructure to
stimulate the economy and tourism investments in Jazan.
6) The budget necessary for environmental repair and
hygiene was added to the total costs of the tenth plan.
Reasons
behind inclusion of these plans are:
1) Environmental
Repair:
The
status of environment has worsened due to lack of governmental facilities.
Definitely health of people and their possessions in this region were much
affected.
2) Urban
Centers:
The
main aim of these centers is to offer utility services and to remove the
randomly distributed houses inside Jazan.
3) Cleanliness:
The
current cleaning system for cities and villages is not fit enough because of
the geographic location of this district and the low budget allocated for
carrying out this task.
The
solution to this problem is to make partition for this budget:
a
budget for each sub-village and sub-city in a separate manner.
EXECUTION PHASE:
The
revised tenth plan was handed over to the Ministerial Committee and then to the
Custodian of the two Holy Shrines.
It
will be done the next time, inshaAllah. It is noticed that some of the elements
included in the tenth plan are being implemented by the annual governmental
budget.
