Jeddah

The Kingdom’s second-largest city and its most significant seaport, Jeddah is one of Saudi Arabia’s key economic engines. While rapid population growth has placed a strain on both housing and public infrastructure, economic growth remains strong, with GDP per capita increasing by 2.4% in 2014 while employment rose by 3.4%. Expansion plans for Jeddah Islamic Port, which is key to the region’s growth and already handles 55m-60m tonnes of shipped goods per year, are expected to increase its capacity by 45%. Among the numerous other development projects are under way, most notable is Kingdom City in Obhor to the north of Jeddah, whose centrepiece will be the world’s first building to be over 1 km tall: Kingdom Tower. This chapter contains an interview with Mazzen Batterjee, Vice-Chairman, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.