Fighting pollution.
Increasing greensward in urban areas.
Technological methods friendly to environment

Planning Lands Exploitation.
Geographic Information Systems.
Development Incentives.

Designs of reasonable cost and friendly to environment.
Designs having sustainable use by local community.
Beautifying cities with designed landscapes.

If the cities progress and civilization are measured by the attention given to the human side. The full care given to Riyadh city in this respect made it eligible to be a remarkable civilized city not only in environmental field but also in all aspects that are integrated with environment of the life various sides.

In this connection, Riyadh Municipality was keen to render this city distinguished for its beauty and green landscape through the attention given to tree planting, beautification of local roads and streets, establishing parks and gardens, pedestrians pathways, municipal plazas in all parts of Riyadh. Thus, trees were planted on both sides and in the middle of roads despite the challenges facing the Municipality in agriculture ascribed to the deserted environment in the city. In addition to the problems related to water, and increasing demand for lands. Regarding that the Municipality has and still working on tree planting and beautification of Riyadh, and to allocate the widest areas possible of lands to convert them into public parks with lowest costs, as well as depending on the private sector in its capacity as an effective partner in the city development and upgrading it in various fields.

Quite recently, Riyadh Municipality has set an aspiring plan for developing the works of coordinating the sites and environment architecture in the city. This plan calls for expanding the greensward in the city and assembling gardens in the new plans, along with encouraging the citizens in general and businessmen in particular to contribute in establishing the gardens and to be included in the new architecture plans. A number of sites have been allocated to be converted in public parks and gardens for increasing greenswards areas and making them valid for investment. These projects could be benefited of for the environment and rehabilitating many locations and to coordinate the new sites on appropriate bases and rules. These plans take into account the site landscape and protection in a manner that copes with the prosperity witness in the city in all fields, which in turn contributes positively in the social, cultural and entertainment fields.

The city of Riyadh enjoys an important strategic location that bestowed on the city a prestigious position among the cities of Arabian Peninsula. Riyadh is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is considered as the metropolis city in the Arabian Peninsula, and as a connecting point between the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. The city also connects Syria and Iraq with the southern areas, which in turn facilitates the movement between the Middle East countries in the area in general.

In 1240 H., Imam Turkey Bin Abdullah made the city the capital of Saudi Arabia. After restoring the city in 1319 H. the late King Abdul Aziz used the city as a springboard for unifying the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Since the era of the late King Abdul Aziz, Riyadh city began its development and prosperity until it reached the top of its glory during the era of Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and it occupied a lofty position among the best prestigious capitals of the civilized world.

On the other hand, Riyadh Municipality focused its attention to the humanitarian side and dealing with human beings as the main topic in the environment and has performed several projects and programs, the most prominent of which are the pedestrian pathways, public parks and municipal plazas. This practice touches at heart the same subject of Dubai International Award for Best Practices To Improve Living Environment in its 7th cycle. In this regard, the attention given by the award to this topic is considered an evidence of the award care given to mankind.

SITUATION BEFORE THE INITIATIVE BEGAN

Despite the location of Riyadh city in the heart of the desert accompanied with the burning sunshine in summer and the decrease in temperature in winter which hinder the spread of greensward all over the city, Riyadh Municipality could, by the grace of God in the first place, and thanks to the endeavors of sincere bodies in the second place, render the city of Riyadh a green oasis and reflecting its beauty all over the city.

The development achieved in the city of Riyadh was not coincidence, but as a result of persevered efforts and according to well-studied plans and long-term strategies that called for unabated and continuing work for fulfilling the city’s need of greenswards whether at the level of tree planting on streets or the construction of parks. Most of these plans have been achieved and efforts were culminated in planting trees for 1764 streets with length of 1440 km, in addition to the establishment of 372 gardens, playgrounds for children and plazas of area totaling 7.7km2.

 MOBILISATION OF RESOURCES

The financial, technical and humanitarian resources were mobilized through the following:

Financial Resources: Riyadh Municipality has allocated a special budget for these projects, which is an evidence of the Municipality’s care of the humanitarian aspect through allocating such huge budget.

 Technical and humanitarian resources: Riyadh Municipality is distinguished for its outstanding manpower of engineers, experts, technicians of high experience, and the dependence on the major consultation and engineering offices and construction companies located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIORITIES 

The Municipality has set an objective system for determining development priorities by monitoring people behavior and the places frequented by them through the distributed questionnaires prepared for this purpose. The first phase ended by determining over 120 projects and sites, which shall all be subjected to the assessment of evaluating the priority of execution after taking into account the special criterions governing such projects that take care of the following aspects:

1. Social and urban awareness, which contributes in the unity and cohesion of people and their participation in the social and urban texture.
2. Giving attention to the humanitarian form and its compatibility with the surrounding architecture spaces represented in buildings, pathways, plazas and roads.
3. Observing the visual impact between the elements relevant to roads, pathways and plazas for attracting residents to visit these places.

 Objectives:

The plan objectives are reflected in the following measures:

1. Beautification of streets with trees and flowers, which contribute in bestowing the feeling of happiness and delight, in addition to mitigating the impact of the buildings’ concrete partitions.
2. Taking care of walk sport through providing pathways to pedestrians, in addition to public parks and gardens.
3. Providing appropriate parks for the city’s dwellers recreation and its visitors to enable them spend their leisure time and holidays in these parks.
4. Contribution in fighting the impact of environment air, ground or noise pollution. It is known that trees are considered of the most important means for mitigating this pollution.
5. Contribution in fulfilling the needs of the city inhabitants of oxygen and decreasing the rate of harmful gases.
6. Decreasing the rate of dust and suspended materials like lead and others through absorbing them by plants leaves.
7. Contribution in lowering underground water in some areas through its suction by plants and percolating it through the leaves.
8. Protecting the city’s appearance and its cleanliness through establishing the gardens, plazas, parks, pedestrian pathways, open yards, public tourist places along with arranging and managing them whether directly or indirectly.

 Strategies:

The plan was executed within the following strategy:

First: Improving the social and economic life through:

1. Facilitating the flow of car traffic.
2. Providing the safety element to pedestrians.
3. Developing intersections with the side roads.
4. Activating the benefit from the economic and entertainment services located on streets.
5. Setting solutions to the planning obstacles, problems in streets.
6. Providing incentives for attracting investment in the services that suit the pathways after being developed.

Second: Improving the architecture environment through:

1. Exploiting the untapped capabilities by converting them into beneficial activities.
2. Establishing the greatest number of gardens for mitigating and refreshing the climate.
3. Increasing the number of the municipal entertainment plazas.
4. Widening the sidewalks and providing pathways suitable to users.
5. Converting the streets from their traditional planning status into a modern style that take care of pedestrian movement and fulfilling their needs.
6. Exploiting certain pathways by allocating certain place for walking and distributing them in an appropriate manner.

 Initiative Description:

The Municipality began setting a long-term integrated plan for making Riyadh a city friendly to pedestrians through the attention given to tree planting; beautification of interior streets and roads; establishing parks and gardens; pedestrian pathways; and municipal plazas in all parts of Riyadh. The plan includes a great number of programs and projects that are distributed as follows:

First: Water resources and irrigation networks:

• Developing water resources.
• Automatic control of irrigation networks.

Second: Developing the works of sites coordination:

• Planting greenswards.
• Plantation variety.
• Intensifying the plantation of seasonal flowers.
• Beautification of squares.
• Reconstruction of sidewalks along with providing all services needed for pedestrians.
• City entrances.

Third.Initiatives relevant to sites coordination:

• Gardens and tree planting on streets.
• Pedestrian pathways.
• Municipal plazas.
• Open spaces.

Fourth: Seasonal programs performed in the city:

• Flowers festival.
• Best gardens festival.
• National Day events.
• Feasts celebrations.

 Fifth: Major Projects:

• Banban Park.
• King Abdullah Park.
• King Abdullah International gardens.
• Cairo Square

REPUBLIC OF YEMEN

The Yemen Women Union

Executive Office Sana’a

Ref.: ANI/MT

Date: 30/3/2008

M/S Members of the Technical and Consultation Committee

Concerned with reviewing all nomination application for Dubai International Award for Best Practices To Improve the Living Environment.

Gentlemen,

Please accept our best regards and wish you every success in performing your duties.You find please herewith enclosed the application submitted by The Yemen Women Union, Executive Office for taking part in Dubai International Award for Best Practices To Improve Living Environment , along with the relevant brochures, CDs and periodical publications issued by this Union in the following fields:

1. Girls Education.
2. Facilitated loans and food safety.

Hoping that this application will get your attention.

Respectfully,

Zahrieh Abbas Al-Iriyani

General Secretariat of Arab Women Union

Head of The Yemen Women Union

(Signed & stamped)

CHARITY COMMITTEE FOR ORPHANS CARE IN AL RIYADH

No. : 20496

Date : 9/3/1428 H.

Encl.: : 8

H. E. Secretary General

Dubai International Award

Your Excellency,

The Charity Committee For Orphans Care in Al Riyadh Area (INSAN), would like to express its best wishes of sound health and sincere regards.

I am pleased to inform you that this Society is an official charity body (working under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The Association pledged to extend its various services for orphans’ care by offering most care aspects amongst which the education care.

The Association would like to participate in the nomination for Dubai International Award in the field of (Best Practices To Improve Living Environment) through proposing the idea of INSAN Electronic Cards Program. You find herewith enclosed a concise synopsis about the cards concept, in addition to some relevant photos and information.

We solicit God Almighty to bless your efforts aimed at promoting charitable endeavors on both individual and institutions domains.

Please accept my best regards and appreciation.

Saleh Bin Abdullah Al-Yousuf,

General Manager.

In The Name Of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

INSAN

  CHARITY COMMITTEE FOR ORPHANS CARE IN AL RIYADH (INSAN)

(INSAN) ELECTRONIC CARDS

Distinguished Service in the Field of Charity Works.

Application for Participation in

Dubai International Award For Best Practices To Improve Living Environment through Proposing the Idea of (INSAN) Electronic Cards Program To Improve the Orphans Living in Al Riyadh Area

.

The Charity Committee For Orphans Care in Al Riyadh Area (INSAN) has achieved many achievements and made good progress in the field of orphans care. Due to the importance of spreading and benefiting of the Society’s experience, we shall be pleased to take part in Dubai International Award for the best practices To Improve the living environment. Below, is a brief about this Society:

Society’s Vision:

The Charity Society for Orphans Care in Al Riyadh Area (INSAN) has been working on providing all aspects of the material and moral care to orphans (and likewise) through using the best professional methods that contribute in nurturing the orphan since its birth until it will be capable of facing the real life.

Society’s Mission:

1. The Society is specialized in extending care to Saudi orphans within Riyadh district.
2. The Society extends the (Social, material, educational and health) care to orphan.
3. The Society is distinguished by rehabilitating the orphan to be capable of facing the real life, in addition to providing job opportunities.
4. The Society is working on upgrading its services by using the best modern scientific and technical methods.

Society’s Objectives:

The Society has been working on realizing many objectives among which:

1. Instilling the principles of Islamic religion in orphans’ mind.
2. Providing variety of care to orphans.
3. Working on establishing and managing the accommodation programs, projects and centers.

Society’s Principles:

1. Gradual progress in extending the service.
2. Providing distinguished services.
3. Instilling contentment and trust in the beneficiaries’ mind.

(INSAN) Electronic Cards:

The Society is nurturing orphans and providing them with all aspects of (Material, educational, health, pedagogical, psychological) care. Also, the Society is working hard to be distinguished in the manner of extending these services among which are the monthly expenses including the basic services of foodstuff, clothes and cash pocket money. Besides, the Society is striving to be an outstanding pioneer in the field of charitable activities beyond the traditional methods.

In the past, these expenses used to be given to families according to the traditional manner followed in distributing charities. The beneficiaries (families) used to be contacted in order to come personally to the charity society for getting the subsidies in kind. This method yielded many negative issues among which:

1. Financial expenses for the supply and purchase the appropriate commodities, in addition to the cost of transportation and storage.
2. Administrative expenses representing in the appointment of employees for getting the best-offered prices for commodities along with distributing them.
3. Cost of keeping and storing foodstuff, particularly the frozen foodstuff that must be kept in fridges, in addition to providing spacious warehouses.
4. Some of purchases did not satisfy the beneficiaries’ desire.
5. The physical, psychological and financial burden levied on beneficiaries, the most important of which was the psychological and pedagogical feeling that negative impact on families.

Therefore, the Society tried to go beyond this traditional way and to search for alternative methods. After studying the new ideas, the Society could develop an automotive outstanding system for handing over the periodical subsidies. Every family has been given three magnetic automatic cards that are rechargeable on monthly basis according to the number of family members. This idea contributed in respecting the families’ dignity while receiving the expenses. Moreover, this way helped in boosting the children’s personality. The cards have three categories: A cash card issued in cooperation with (Al-Rajehi Bank), foodstuff card issued in cooperation with (Al-Othaim Company), and the third one for the purchase of clothes in cooperation with (Al-Haram Company). Regarding that these cards are of the prepaid kind.

 The three cards are as follows:

1. Al-Baraka Card: Which is recharged by 50 Riyals monthly for every beneficiary and paid in cash through the cash automatic teller machines belonging to Al-Rajehi Bank
2. Al-Haram Garments Card: Which is recharged by 50 Riyals monthly for every beneficiary for the purchase of clothes from Al-Haram Markets.
3. >Al-Othaim Card: Which is recharged by 150 Riyals monthly for every beneficiary for the purchase of foodstuff from Al-Othaim Foodstuff centers and markets.

DIFFICULTIES & OBSTACLES:

In the outset of applying the experience of providing the basic periodical subsidies through the automatic cards, the Society faced some difficulties in preparing beneficiaries to accept the idea with its modern technology, and the difficulty of teaching them how to use these cards, in addition to problems relevant to the manner of protecting the cards from damage or loss since the beneficiaries included senior mothers or illiterate people.

These difficulties were solved by adopting the following measures:

1. A manual was issued to every card user, which was published in (Tanweer) series for instructing the beneficiaries of the manner of use (Enclosed with the proposal).
2. A cover was provided for protecting the card from damage.
3. Families were enlightened through the familial forums and through the visits made by the social research teams for explaining the method of using the cards.
4. Answering the queries received by the Technical Department of the Head Office, in addition to the social service sections located in branches.

This experience yielded many positive aspects the most important of which are:

1. Respecting the beneficiaries’ dignity while receiving the expenses.
2. Promoting children’s personality.
3. Facilitating the extended services due to the distant locations of bodies providing these services.
4. Beneficiaries were accustomed to depend on themselves along with providing them with the freedom of choice.
5. Appointing the fully dedicated concerned employees for activating the Society’s supporting programs and services, as well as concentrating on the meaningful programs and activities.
6. Benefiting from the modern technologies and saving the Society’s and beneficiaries’ time and effor
7. Getting special discounts from the concerned companies according to agreed upon specific rates.

The Society is keen to spread its experience in general and this experiment in particular (Electronic Cards). Therefore, it proposed this idea to the bodies interested and concerned with the issue of orphans’ care during the first orphans’ forum arranged by the Society and sponsored by Sulaiman Al-Rajehi Charity Society held in Riyadh in 1428 H. . The Society has also welcomed many visitors willing to benefit from this experience, which was explained to them on the spot upon their visit to the Information Technology Section in the Head Office. We are looking forward to make our philanthropic society and societies as pioneers in this field as they are pioneers in the mission and objective.