Hardly had the curtains closed on this year's Hajj season and the caravans of pilgrims returned to their homelands, when Saudi Arabia announced a new package of development projects in Makkah, in a scene that is repeated year after year and reflects a firmly established philosophy: that serving the guests of the Most Gracious never stops, but rather begins anew with the end of each season.

The Kingdom, by virtue of its honor of serving the Two Holy Mosques, shoulders the responsibility of receiving millions of Muslims with the highest levels of safety, comfort, and dignity. What is being witnessed in the current decade represents a qualitative leap, as development is no longer limited to the vicinity of the Grand Mosque, but has extended to include all neighborhoods of Makkah, in a vision that makes the holy city an integrated civilizational model befitting its status in the hearts of Muslims. The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites announced the awarding of six major development projects under the Developed Neighborhoods Program, with a total value of 13.3 billion riyals and an area exceeding 2.7 million square meters, covering the neighborhoods of South Jurhum, Al-Khalidiyah, Al-Hajlah, and Al-Hindawiyah with its eastern, southern, and western branches.

The economic impact of these projects goes far beyond their announced financial value. Pumping 13.3 billion riyals into the arteries of the local economy means moving entire supply chains of construction materials, engineering services, and specialized labor, creating thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities for national cadres, in addition to raising the real estate value of these neighborhoods and attracting private investment in the commercial and residential sectors. When infrastructure improves and quality of life rises in these six neighborhoods, this enhances Makkah's ability to accommodate the growing numbers of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, positively impacting the tourism system, which is a cornerstone in the economic diversification journey led by Vision 2030. In short, these projects are not just building construction; they are a real driver of the national economy in the short and long term.

However, the hoped-for economic impact will not be achieved on its own. The success of projects of this magnitude depends on a set of controlling factors, none of which can be overlooked. At the forefront of these factors is clarity of objectives and required outputs for each project individually, and close coordination between relevant government agencies, including municipalities, service companies, and developers. Then comes strict application of quality standards at every implementation stage, and periodic monitoring and accountability mechanisms that detect deviations early before they turn into costly crises.

However, the most prominent success factor of all, and the most influential in the fate of any public project, is the selection of competent project managers who have the ability to turn plans into tangible reality. A recent peer-reviewed Saudi scientific study published in an international specialized journal, which surveyed the opinions of more than two hundred project management specialists in the Kingdom and analyzed 32 essential competencies, revealed that there are four core competencies that must be present in anyone leading public sector projects.

The first is the ability to work efficiently within a cohesive and harmonious team — the competency that received the highest rating in the study, because major projects are not accomplished by brilliant individuals but by integrated teams. The second is the ability to obtain and maintain senior management support throughout the project life cycle, as a project manager isolated from their leadership cannot overcome organizational obstacles no matter how great their individual competence. The third is identifying and managing risks professionally before they occur, not after — the competency that distinguishes a manager who leads the project from a manager led by events. The fourth is human resource management and the ability to motivate and inspire the team, because people are the true primary resource of any project. Whoever builds their team well and ignites enthusiasm in its members secures half the success before any machine starts on site. These four competencies together are what distinguish a leader who creates the project from a manager who administers it.

These competencies are not an academic luxury; rather, they are the distillation of the experiences of hundreds of project managers who have lived the reality of public projects and learned the reasons for their success and failure. Applying them in selecting and qualifying those in charge of the six Makkah neighborhood projects is not just a recommendation; it is the real guarantee that these billions will be translated into civilizational and human value worthy of the Mother of Cities (Umm al-Qura), serving its residents and visitors generation after generation.