Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Corruption Commission has asked that the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs launch a probe into the causes of a 12-year delay in implementing an industrial city project in al-Kharj.
In its report, the commission cited negligence from al-Kharj municipality and the contractor who won the bid to implement the project. They asked that the ministry determine who is responsible for the delay and take penal measures, as well as clarify action against the contractor after they were issued a final warning over a year ago.
In 2000 a tender was floated, and in 2001 the site was handed to the successful bidder, only to have work disrupted several times after that. In 2006 the project was handed over to another contractor as the initial investor could not meet the obligations set out by the contract.
The second contractor also failed to execute the project as stated by the contract, and the al-Kharj municipality did not actively follow up on the project or the investor over the period of the contract. They also ignored a canal on the west side of the city that had been converted into a waste dump.
Having conducted their own probe, the commission is awaiting the ministry’s investigations and enforcement of the law against whoever is found responsible.