Saudi Crown Prince gives green light to dev’t of Darin, Tarout Island

RIYADH, Nov 27, (KUNA): Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, accredited a development approach for the Darin and Tarout Island and future initiatives of the island. He also approved establishing a development corporation for the island, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.

The generous approval also included the allocation of an estimated budget of SAR 2.644 billion (some USD 705 million), with the aim of improving the quality of life and developing the GDP, according to the SPA report.

The development plan of the 32-sq-km island, home to 120,000 people, includes identifying the island’s comparative and competitive advantages according to three main pillars for shaping the future of Darin and Tarout Island, which are: preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the island, the revival of natural and environmental sites, and improving quality of life and enhancing its tourism economy.

To achieve the goals of the island’s development plan, more than 19 qualitative initiatives have been developed.

On the cultural side, Darin castle and airport will be developed as heritage tourist destinations, and holding several cultural and heritage festivals on the island, as well as establishing multiple pedestrian trails that pass through the island’s heritage areas.

On the environmental side, the largest mangrove forest will be created on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, in addition to building several environmental hotels and motels in natural areas, as well as improving the quality of life on the island through the construction of roads, infrastructure and public parks, including many stadiums and modern sports facilities.

The development approach is expected to yield a significant economic and social impact in the region by contributing to GDP with an average of up to SAR 297 million at an annual basis, increasing the number of tourists to 1.36 million by 2030, and providing thousands of career opportunities, as well as allocating up to 48 percent of the island’s area to parks, waterfronts, roads and facilities.