Riyadh governor orders relocation of Yamama Cement plant on health concerns

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh region is pushing for the relocation of the Yamama Cement plant and other potentially hazardous entities for environmental and health concerns, according to a report published by Al-Jazirah newspaper.

“Based on Prince Bandar’s orders, cement factories will be pushed out nearly 70 kilometers east of Riyadh city,” Ibrahim Al Shaya, director of the Environmental Planning and Public Utilities at theHigh Commission for Riyadh Development (HCRD), was quoted as saying.

“In addition, leather tanning factories will be shut down, and sewage water disposal will see a harsh crackdown,” he added.

In March 2012, the Yamama Cement plant was granted a four-year period to relocate outside of residential areas by the HCRD, according to data available on Argaam.