Tariq A. Al-Maeena
The city of Jeddah, often referred to as the Bride of the Red Sea, reminds one of a maiden all decked out in fine livery on the outside, but carrying a host of diseases coursing rampantly through her body. And nowhere is that more evident than when making an analogy between the biggest and the best and what just could be.
The city already boasts of a water fountain claimed to be the highest fountain in the world with water jet heights reaching anywhere from 260 to 300 meters. Completed in 1985 during the oil boom years, the fountain draws upon seawater for its grand showing of a massive water plume with strategically placed lighting adding to a captivating effect.
In recent times, there has been a race of sorts to reach for heights in other arenas. The Kingdom Tower will rise to the height of more than one kilometer upon completion in 2018 making it the tallest building in the world. It will also be equipped with the world’s fastest double deck elevator with travel speed of over 10 meters a second and the world’s highest elevator rise at 660 m.
Not to be outdone, the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), which has been managing the shabby state of our major airports for as long as I can remember, has also jumped on the bandwagon by announcing that in the current expansion of Jeddah’s existing airport, there are plans to build the world’s tallest control tower. The tower is expected to reach a height of 136 meters, giving it bragging rights as holder of the "tallest" award. While the airport’s completion dates are very fluid, it is confidently expected to be completed sometime this century.
Joining the bandwagon, a local company in coordination with Jeddah Municipality announced a project to erect the world’s tallest flagpole in one of the city’s major roundabouts. The 170-meter-high flagpole expected to be completed shortly will have a Saudi flag at the top of the pole which in itself is reported to weigh a staggering 575 kg. Speaking during a media event, an executive of the local company said, “We are not building it for the Guinness World Records. We are building it for the nation and for the people of Saudi Arabia. Jeddah residents will be sharing their pride in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by raising the Saudi national flag on one of the tallest poles in the world.”
Enough, enough, enough! Such records are meaningless to residents of the city weary of shortcomings that are standard fare in most countries. What pride are these people talking about? What difference does it make to a traveler if the airport has the tallest control tower but substandard passenger facilities and treatment? Will a supersize control tower ease their frustrations or make their flight experience pleasantly memorable?
And what is the point of boasting about the city hosting the highest building in the world when essential facilities such as piped in water and sewage facilities are absent in many neighborhoods? Or roads that are a constant strain on our blood pressure as we navigate over pits and trenches? On the other hand, the city may inadvertently possess the world record for the largest fleet of foul smelling septic water tankers running throughout the city with their toxic and putrid load.
And while it is an acknowledged effort from a private quarter, couldn’t the resources spent on making the world’s largest flagpole and flag be allocated instead to opening some badly needed medical clinics in the city’s impoverished areas?
No indeed! If I want to be proud of my city then it would have to boast the best schools, the smoothest roads, high quality residential services and a host of other essentials that would have more meaning than pieces of architecture each trying to land itself in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In the race toward superlatives, the vision of city planners must be redirected. There is no pride in what the appearance is on the outside when the inside needs a lot of work.
–-The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
