Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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rising oil revenues. 25 During the 1970s, the Ministry of Interior contracted international
architects and contractors to construct 4,672 housing units in fully serviced and wellplanned
communities in 16 Saudi cities. Due to the
recent dynamic growth of cities, towns and villages and the increasing need to
provide housing in support of its Internal Security Forces, the Ministry of
Interior embarked on an ambitious program to develop, establish and maintain
well conceived and planned new communities throughout the
Kingdom....The New communities have been planned to provide an
environment that respects and preserves the Saudi "Quality of Life", to
encourage, where possible an integration of the new community with the
neighboring settlements. 26
In November, 1980, the Ministry of Interior commenced the five year large-scale
community development. Arar received 453 units on a location which added 40 hectares to
the city's area (Figure 7.4-A). The 2,700 residents "model" community included a large
congregational mosque, 2 clubs, four schools, a recreation center with an auditorium,
shops and a health center. In contrast to Arar's other scattered, half-built land
subdivisions, the ISF is uniquely designed and professionally built by international firms
aided by young Saudi architects. In contrast to Arar's layout, which is marked by a
disjointed planning process largely due to lax municipal controls and uncoordinated
sanctioning of land subdivisions, the ISF development emphasized a meandering loop
feeding the major residential zones, clustered around the central service area where the
Friday mosque, shops, the clubs were located. Schools were scattered around the site in
calculated proportions according to the age and number of students. The project handbook
boasted that "A network of traffic-free pedestrian ways is provided between clusters of
housing, allowing for a high degree of safe pedestrian circulation around the site." 27
Allocation of the various project's elements was carefully organized to benefit from
topographical and climatic considerations (Figure 7.3-B). The project was fully finished at
professional standards (including streets, pavement, lighting and sewage treatment
plant/facilities, etc.). Residential units were furnished. The total cost, including
community services and other costs, was reported at SR455 million ($130 million), or one
million per unit. 28
Moreover, the Ministry of Defense and Aviation has maintained a provincial
department and a regional hospital at this ulterior town. The Ministry of Defense, which
oversees and runs the only national civilian airline, Saudia, also maintains Arar's airport.