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To His Excellency the Mayor of Jeddah.. With Regards

Faten Mohammed Hussein

Publication Date: 21 July 2026 22:31 KSA

In a festive ceremony in May 2026, His Excellency Mr. Saleh Al-Turki bade farewell to his position as Mayor of Jeddah, marking a historic day celebrating achievements realized under his leadership over eight years of service. His Excellency Minister Majed Al-Hogail affirmed in a post on the X platform that he led a developmental journey in Jeddah Municipality that yielded qualitative initiatives and services touching people's lives—an honor reflecting the wise leadership's appreciation for loyal citizens of the nation.

Then came his successor in less than two months by a royal decree appointing His Excellency Mr. Ehsan Bafaqeeh as Mayor of Jeddah with the rank of Excellent Grade. I am delighted to congratulate His Excellency on this precious trust from the wise leadership, as he possesses extensive experience in the banking, investment, and government sectors, including serving as Governor of the General Authority of State Real Estate (2018-2023). Jeddah has become a global city, being a coastal city that welcomes thousands of tourists by air, land, and sea, serving as a primary station for the Holy Sites, and known for the beauty of its shores. Recently, it has even become a global center for domestic and international tourism and entertainment due to its restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, resorts, and more.

This status of Jeddah represents a mandate and a supreme responsibility for its mayor, as the city needs follow-up on stalled projects, companies that have failed to adhere to specific implementation schedules, and performance indicators, which is a strategic matter—such as sewage projects, bridges, and tunnels, the delay of which has contributed to the closure of some streets and led to traffic disruption. Traffic in Jeddah, following the removal of informal settlements, has made car congestion one of its defining features, especially in the northern areas of Madinah Road, Obhur Al-Janoubiya and Al-Shamaliya, and their surroundings, which wastes people's time significantly. Therefore, completing these projects is an urgent matter to ease traffic bottlenecks.

Accelerating flood drainage projects, monitoring the performance of implementing companies, and building special dams to capture water for strategic storage have become urgent matters, instead of letting such torrents sweep away everything in their path, threatening the safety of the city and its residents. Rain is a blessing from God, a shower from the sky, and the beauty of nature that we yearn for and that improves our psychological well-being, so let it be an enjoyment we look forward to.

As for Al-Haramain Road in eastern Jeddah, it requires a great deal of effort and attention. While the municipality previously did its utmost in preparing rainwater infrastructure, roads still remain characterized by randomness, which leads to congestion and driving hazards. Examples include, but are not limited to, Abraq Al-Rughamah district—a neighborhood whose rich history as a pathway for caravans traveling between Jeddah and Mecca and vice versa did not spare it. Rather, it is the area where King Abdulaziz and his army camped upon entering Jeddah on December 25, 1925, before entering it peacefully and annexing it to the Saudi state. It is true that the neighborhood has seen the emergence of a large residential mass, schools, dispensaries, shopping centers, and even a large heritage museum documenting King Abdulaziz's unification journey to embody this historical heritage, alongside a cultural center, a library, and a towering flagpole displaying the Kingdom's flag that can be seen from afar, signifying the famous historic palace.

Although the name 'Abraq Al-Rughamah' symbolizes land where stones mix with sand and highlands with depressions, the lack of urban planning in the area has left it as it is, not to mention the unorganized exits and entrances to the neighborhood. This fails to meet the security requirements of a city that has become a global hub for tourism and entertainment.

Finally, it is important to open public beaches to visitors, increase safe swimming areas, and allow investment in beachfront resorts that match the economic level of many tourists, as five-star resorts do not meet the entertainment and quality of life needs of the majority of people.

Jeddah tourism development flood projects mayor beaches entertainment