Riyadh and Jubail among world's top three leadership cities

Applications on behalf of both cities were submitted by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGAI), as part of its ongoing efforts to promote the competitive advantages Saudi Arabia enjoys.

The World Leadership Forum (WLF) short listed Riyadh in the Health Category for its specialist hospitals while Jubail was selected in the Economy and Employment Category as a result of its having grown to an already award wining industrial city from a small fishing and pearling village.

SAGIA prepared and submitted both applications to WLF in August. Earlier this year, the WLF had asked leaders in 400 of the world's largest cities to submit synopsis of their most successful projects. These projects covered a wide range of activities spanning the environment, urban renewal, housing, health, town planning, architecture, civil engineering, education, and development of the young, the economy, and employment.

The application for Riyadh paid tribute to the Kingdom's leadership in formulating the national healthcare policy, supporting medical research that positively impacts global medical policy and practice, and maintaining a most-competitive medical education and training program. Riyadh from the onset has been the de facto seat of national healthcare, since as home of local government, policy could be rapidly instituted.

Saudi Arabia has transformed the challenges of development into unique strengths giving rise to Riyadh's current medical leadership and research psyche. The medical community shares the country's philosophy of serving its people and population in that the public and private healthcare sector often has gratis or subsidized healthcare incorporated in its operations. Moreover, this philosophy is extended to the care of non-citizens as well.

The submission focused on the city's specialized medical and healthcare institutions including King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard, the Armed Forces and Security Forces Hospitals and the King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital. Today, the Riyadh specialist hospitals produce world-class research in line with the best of British and American institutions. A remarkable feat given that in 1973, over 85% of the Saudi population was illiterate.

Jubail's selection in the Economy and Employment category was unsurprising considering the great strides made by the tiny village within three decades. From humble beginnings lacking schools, roads or any form of modern infrastructure to the world's largest petrochemical center, seeking to grow into the role of diversified global energy hub, Jubail's is an inspiring story of perseverance and strategic development. In addition to economic advancements, Jubail has also developed an unskilled, native population with a negligible literacy rate into a skilled work force to meet the needs of future employers.

Paying tribute to the leadership of the Royal Commission of Jubail, the submission by SAGIA elaborated the milestones of development consisting of city planning, infrastructure development, regulatory environment establishment, human resource development, education and health care facilities and construction.

'The quality of these projects is astonishing, and represents the best current thinking in city leadership globally. What is especially heartening is the way in which city leaders are tackling traditional problems with non-traditional and often brilliant new ideas; the result is often a huge improvement in health and living standards. Many of these ideas can easily be replicated by other cities, and no doubt will be,' commented Malcolm Turner, President of the World Leadership Forum.

The short listed projects will be presented to the judges (by the people who created and managed them), in a series of live symposia in London on 5th and 6th December 2005. The judges will apply three criteria: the quality of leadership displayed, the difficulties, or obstacles, that the city has overcome; and the degree of inspiration that the city may give to others. Uniquely for an international award, these symposia will be open to both press and public. The winners will be announced at the Royal Courts of Justice, in London, on 6th December 2005.