Saudi plans $93m village for visually impaired

Saudi Arabia is planning to build a village for people who are visually impaired on the outskirts of Jeddah, it was reported on Friday.

The project in the Osfan area will span an area of around 2.2 million sq m and is slated to open in early 2014, reported Saudi daily Arab News.

It quoted Ahmed Mohammed Ali, chairman of the board of the Ibsar Charity Society, as saying the Ibsar Charity Village will cost SR350m ($93.3m) to build.

He told the paper that proceeds from the project in the first of five years of operation are projected to hit SR170m.

The project will include a factory, 50 percent of which will be run by the visually impaired, a unit for poor vision rehabilitation, an early intervention centre, mosque, conference hall, and staff housing.

Other facilities will include a shopping centre, gas station, and fitness club.