Modon GIS final draft

‫ت‬‫فعيل‬‫السعودية‬ ‫في‬ ‫الصناعية‬ ‫المدن‬ ‫في‬ ‫الجغرافية‬ ‫المعلومات‬ ‫نظم‬
Utilizing GIS in Industrial Cities in Saudi Arabia
Ali H. Baissa and Sami M. Al Homod
College of Business Administration, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Keywords: GIS; Government; Saudi Arabia; Industrial Cities; Modon
Abstract
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gives much importance to the industrial sector, due to the
influence this sector has on the economy. The Saudi Industrial Property Authority—
Modon—is overseeing the planning and development of industrial cities throughout the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Modon performs its roles through deploying effective
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems and tools, in order to
effectively support industrial land development and allocation processes for investors.
Therefore, Modon needs to implement a Geographic Information System (GIS) to
integrate with its e-services and optimize internal customer service processes.
The successes of utilizing a GIS system are in the contexts of planning, allocating
industrial land, and effectively integrating it with other e-services and property
management system (PMS).
1. Introduction
The topics presented within this paper are as follows:
o GIS (Geographic Information System) overview
o GIS examples in Saudi Arabia
o Review of the industrial cities in Saudi Arabia
o Methods by which Modon manages the industrial cities
o Description of GIS implementation in Modon, and how it is applied to
manage the land within industrial cities—this is the primary focus of the
paper

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o Conclusion of GIS implementation in Modon; lessons learned from
implementation; and the recommendations
GIS technology enables organizations to store, access, and integrate special information
with other data in a secure way. This data can be saved in a way that is easy for the end-
user to display, as the data includes related maps. The data handle many processes, in
order to generate the results in a timely and efficient manner. It is therefore a good
resource to generate information that can assist in the decision-making process.
Church (2002,p.541) defines a GIS system as a system “designed to store, retrieve,
manipulate, analyze and map geographical data.”
According to Church (2002), the following six factors increase the use of a GIS system:
 The existence of different GIS software applications and tools throughout the
world
 The high capacities of workstations that can store, analyze, manipulate, and
process the huge traffic amount of traffic from modern applications.
 The existence of plotters and geographical displays, which generate high-quality,
high-resolution images.
 The reasonable cost of GIS systems.
 The expansion of remote sensing (especially for environment monitoring), which
needs a powerful system to handle the huge volume data traffic.
 The existence of satellites that depend on GPS technology to gather data attributes,
such as location, with low cost and high accuracy.
It is crucial to mention the following benefits of GIS, as articulated by Alterkawi (2005).
1) Faster procedures.
2) Increased procedural efficiency.
3) Support the decision-making process (e.g., quicker and less costly).
4) Increase the accuracy of the information.
5) Automate the tasks.
ESRI, the leading company in GIS system development, describes GIS characteristics
thusly: “GIS technology integrates common database operations such as query and
statistical analysis with the unique visualization and geographic analysis benefits offered
by maps.” GIS organizes and stores information about the world as a collection of
thematic layers that are linked by geography. Each layer contains features with similar
attributes, for example, the streets and cities located in the same geographic extent. This

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simple, powerful, and versatile concept has proven invaluable for solving real-world
problems, from tracking delivery vehicles to modeling global atmospheric circulation.
The fundamental operations for valuable GIS systems rely on key concepts, such as the
accuracy of data captured; therefore, a GIS system must provide methods for inputting
geographic coordinates and tabular attribute data: the more input methods available, the
more versatile the GIS. The second concept is manipulating and storing data. There are
two basic models for geographic data storage: vector and raster. A typical GIS system
should be able to store geographic data in both models. A third concept is the data query,
which is necessary in GIS applications to provide utilities for finding specific features,
based on location or attribute value. Finally, analyzing and displaying data are needed to
answer questions regarding the interaction of spatial relationships between multiple data-
sets, and tools are necessary for visualizing geographic features using a variety of
symbologies. Urban land analysis needs a great deal of spatial data manipulation—as
studies have shown—so, this type of analysis difficult without using GIS (Okunuki, 2001).
2. Historical studies
The master plan is the framework that distributes areas of land to specific zones, such as
residential, industrial, green areas, transportation, and utilities. Therefore, it is an
important document in the decision-making process related to land use in local
government (Patterson and Pullen, 2009).
There are several factors related to the success of a master plan:
 Geographic coverage.
 Covering all of the issues concerning land use in the future.
 Long-term objectives.
With respect to the master plan, the GIS plays a central role in data collection and
analysis.
Bishop et al. (2000, p.86) state that “more than 90% of information required for a city’s
administration has a spatial components such as parcels of land, road networks, utility
infrastructure, emergency services, garbage collection and recreational areas.” Dave
(1992) mention that more than 80% of the data processed by a government is geographical
data. This shows how important a GIS is to government organizations. It has important
tools for decision making at the governmental level (O’Looney, 2000).

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In the governmental context, Budic and Godschalk (1994) note that the success of a GIS
depends on how it is mandated by the organization. The scope should be formal and based
on GIS utilization in performing tasks, and based on the management of GIS technologies,
such as infrastructure, resources, and personnel training. Opadeyi and Brown (2008) add
that overall, GIS services have two primary goals: 1) to improve the quality of decision
making and 2) to improve the efficiency of daily operations.
There are two GIS models: centralized and decentralized. In the centralized model, the
GIS department is only responsible for spatial data needs and geographic data updates. In
this model, the organization will minimize duplicate and mismatched information in the
system, because it will be under one department (e.g., the GIS Department). The focus is
on training the GIS team.
In the decentralized model, more coordination is needed between departments, because
each department has GIS needs, trains staff to work with the system, and has to maintain
and upgrade the system. The standards, storage, and infrastructure will be provided by the
GIS Department. The decentralized model is more costly than the centralized model, and
it requires more coordination.
3. GIS Examples in Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia knows the importance of using a GIS; as such, it has
established a temporary committee comprised of members from different government
organizations, led by a military surveyor from the Ministry of Defense. The main
objective of this committee is to put standards and general requirements in place to
establish a national GIS database.
This committee has proposed the following recommendations to the Saudi Government:
Alshahrani and Molla (2008)
 Establish a program called the Infrastructure Program for National Geographical
Information Systems. This program should establish a GIS database based on
national specifications and standards, and coordinate between many different
agencies, in order to provide services to the users from public and private
organizations.
 Generate legislation for information exchange.
 Train human resources for GIS through workshops, and release regular magazines.

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In 2010, the Saudi Government decided to establish a standing committee called the
National Committee for GIS. The responsibilities for this committee include the
following:
 Generate national policies and define priorities.
 Establish the Infrastructure Program for National GIS. The national database will
be established from this program.
 Strengthen human resources via training and qualification strategies.
 Organize a national GIS conference (to be held every three years).
Now, we will describe one example of how a government agency uses a GIS; this case is
similar to the way in which a GIS is used by Modon in industrial cities.
Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is growing in size and population. In the 1930, Riyadh
increased from 1 km2
to over 1500 km2
. Riyadh’s population was 30,000 in the 1950, and
it increased to over 4 million by 2000. Rapid growth trends are certainly evident, and in
order be controlled, effective planning—with proper automation—is needed.
Alterkawi (2005) describes GIS usage in the municipality of Riyadh, in terms of planning,
managing, and controlling urban areas. He also explains building permit procedures.
Riyadh Municipality uses the Building Information Management System (BIMS), which
contains many modules designed to support business needs, as they relate to building
permit management. The Building Permit Division is responsible for issuing permits for
building construction, as well as monitoring the actual construction process. The City
Planning Department contains three divisions:
1) Building Permit Division.
2) Survey Division.
3) GIS Division.
The GIS Division is responsible for building the GIS system and maintaining it. The
procedure associated with obtaining a building permit, before using a GIS, was manual,
and it took a long time; however, it became faster after using a GIS.
The customer requests a building permit, and then, this request is received by the engineer,
who does an initial review and registers the request with the BIMS. Next, the request is
forwarded to the Survey Division, in order to make sure that the site location coincides
with the request and that the land status is “undisputed.” After this information is
confirmed, the request gets sent back to the engineer for final review. If the request is
approved by the engineer, it gets sent to an authorization officer for final approval; the

6
officer sends it to the customer service center, so the customer can be notified and the
permit can be sent.
BIMS is integrated with many divisions in the Municipality of Riyadh, such as the
Financial Division, Purchasing and Contracts Division, and Land Information Division.
The features of BIMS are as follows:
 Create maps containing specific information about areas of land, which can be
displayed and printed. These maps can be used by management, engineers, and
inspectors.
 Know the key issues from the Land Management Division, such as information
about land parcels and their histories.
 User friendly, so the system can be accessed via the Internet and Intranet.
 Easy to link with any application, which minimizes human input and increases
information control.
 The inspectors can view the information and add comments if there are any site
violations, and can apply penalties in the system directly.
Next, we will show the example of Modon, in order to illustrate a case of industrial land
management.
4. Industrial Cities in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s industrial cities development plans were initiated in 1970, due to their
importance to economic growth. Industrial cities require basic infrastructure services, such
as electricity, water, and telecommunications. By 1973, three industrial estates in Riyadh,
Jeddah, and Dammam, with over 1.4 km2
of land, were operational.
An “industrial city” is defined by Peddle (1993) as a “large tract of land, sub-divided and
developed for the use of several firms simultaneously, distinguished by its shareable
infrastructure and close proximity of firms.” According to UNIDO (1997), industrial cities
are developed and divided into many zones, according to the master plan, with provisions
for roads and public utilities. An “industrial city is defined as “a cluster of industries
within a defined geographical area, administered and/or managed by a single authority
having a defined jurisdiction with respect to tenant companies” (UNEP, 1996).
In 2009, the number of industrial cities reached 14, with a total area of over 92,000 km2
,
and over 2,883 operational factories. Table 1 highlights the growth in each of the 14
industrial cities.

7
# Industrial City Total Area (M²) Developed Area (M²) Factories
1 Riyadh 1st. 451,000 451,000 59
2 Riyadh 2nd. 18,786,000 15,409,000 806
3 Jeddah 1st. 12,807,000 9,474,000 988
4 Dammam 1st. 2,704,000 1,806,202 126
5 Dammam 2nd. 24,800,000 15,785,000 534
6 Makkah 730,117 730,117 57
7 Qaseem 1,542,934 1,232,365 52
8 Ahsa 1,543,000 1,500,000 93
9 Madinah 9,949,000 1,750,000 44
10 Assir 2,663,000 904,000 84
11 Al-Jouf 3,000,000 629,000 8
12 Tabuk 4,000,000 1,350,000 12
13 Hail 2,560,000 870,000 19
14 Najran 6,560,000 750,000 1
Total Area 92,096,051 52,640,684 2883
Table 1: Saudi Industrial Cities Statistics in 2009
5. Industrial Cities Management
The Government of Saudi Arabia established Modon in 2001, when legislation was passed
to set up the Saudi Industrial Property Authority. Modon oversees the establishment,
development, and operation of Industrial Estates and Technology Zones. It also provides
integrated services, where required, to meet investors’ demands, and contributes to the
development of modern society and environment preservation.
Modon has been actively working with the government and other agencies toward shaping
a Saudi industrial cities development vision for the twenty-first century. It has an
operational set of over 22 industrial cities, and manages the organization of these cities,
which are spread throughout various regions of the Kingdom.
In the 30 years prior to the inception of Modon, total developed industrial land spanned
40.7 million square meters, whereas after the establishment of Modon, 36 million square
meters was developed within a period of just nine years—and not only that—but Modon
plans to develop 75 million square meters of land over the next five years.

8
Figure 1: Land development growth
Modon started to develop and integrate a GIS system in early 2010, with the key
objectives of optimizing customer service and achieving operational excellence.
A GIS is a good solution for overcoming the challenges associated with decision making,
such as the following:
 More than 20 industrial cities and over 5,000 factories demand a very well-
managed geo-db.
 Fact-based decision making is essential to make sure the geo-db reaches 100%
credibility.
 Integrate missing data that is of value to management and investors.
 Automation, with no need to refer to paperwork.
 Organize departments at Modon.
Ruiz et al. (2011) mention that industrial locations are very important for city planning for
many reasons, such as environment, economy, and social factors. Therefore, a system is
needed to support decision making.
With the increased number of industrial cities, investors, clients, and partners, it has
become necessary to develop a highly sophisticated Geo-db, in order to enable easy access
to valuable information. In addition, confidential data can also be acquired, located, and
discussed much easier with Modon’s GIS application and supporting extensions.
In order to facilitate the process of industrial land allocation to investors, and oversee the
infrastructure development within industrial zones, Modon developed a GIS application
that was essentially integrated with its property management system (PMS). A few more

9
extensions were also added to the application, such as the mobile interface (using Android
3.1 map production) and a GIS-to-CAD extension to generate CAD drawings based on
GIS maps. Finally, a web interface was introduced to enable clients and potential investors
to search Kingdom industrial cities.
Modon is also responsible for evaluating the applications for land leasing and enforcing
practices that maintain a “green” environment. Hence, integration between the GIS
application, e-services, and PMS was introduced to make sure these elements are working
in accordance with internal Modon processes. The application enables land classification
for various industrial, commercial, and residential sites within the industrial cities
throughout the Kingdom.
6. Modon’s GIS Implementation
Modon started developing a GIS system application in 2010, with the goals of optimizing
its operational functions, simplifying the land allocation process, and better serving
industrialists and investors.
The scope of the GIS implementation project can be outlined as follows:
 Establish an integrated system of hardware and software that would support
advanced geo-processing analytical tools, high-quality maps, and reports on
production for various Modon departments.
 Design and build a GIS database of all features within industrial cities, in terms of
both spatial representation and their associated descriptive attributes.
 Integrate 14 industrial cities (initially), satellite images, and geo-referencing for
AutoCAD drawings into the system.
 Provide training on the GIS system to Modon managers, administrators,
developers, and technical and general users.
The master plan plays a major role in making decisions regarding land development in an
industrial city, and helps in the allocation process.
There are many zones classified in the GIS system.
 Industrial zone: Developed for the factories.
 Residential zone: Developed for the residential areas, for the factory engineers and
workers.
 Services zone: Developed for industrial services, such as hotels, restaurants, and
fuel stations.

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Modon’s internal GIS application is positioned in-line with its peer applications—the
PMS and e-Modon—so it can provide the Industrial Cities and Project Management
Departments with the necessary support to implement processes and policies.
The GIS application is currently beneficial in the following ways:
1. Proposing and allocating new parcels to potential investors, both industrial and/or
commercial, within the Kingdom’s industrial cities.
2. Retrieving spatial data related to existing properties in the cities, and generating over
17 types of reports related to industries, properties, tenants, and services within the
industrial cities; providing the necessary data for review during the decision-making
process is also key.
3. Providing Modon officers ‫ذ‬the flexibility of accessing the geo-db through mobile
devices, while on customers’ premises.
4. Integrating applications that exchange information, in order to provide better service.
Figure 2: MODON GIS benefits
Modon gains many advantages by using a GIS to control and maintain the accuracy of
geographic data:

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 Dedicated GIS team.
 Industrial Cities Department: Update land status during the allocation process
Modon GIS Components
Modon’s GIS consists of the following:
 Internal GIS application: Adheres to Modon’s land allocation policies and
processes; generates various reports associated with industrial cities; customizes
parcels and Krokies; and offers sophisticated parcel searches and attribute
modifications.
 External web-based flex-viewer interface: Mainly directed to Modon customers,
and has different search types, map marking tools, and satellite images.
 Modon geo-db: Incorporates topographical information/attributes related to parcels
leased throughout all operational industrial cities in the Kingdom; map production
is utilized for marketing activities, such as printing brochures, booklets, maps of
different scales, and sharing marketing information.
 GIS to CAD conversion: Client-based extension mainly used to convert GIS maps
to CAD files for contractors operating in the industrial cities, and for the sake of
keeping a common point of reference between the data on all projects.
 GIS mobile extension (“Rased”): A mobile tablet, mainly for Modon field officers
who are in charge of site surveying and customer visits. This device enables direct
access to Modon geo-db, and enables sending updated information to customers in
real time.
Figure 3: Modon GIS MAPS website

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Figure 4: GIS Mobile extension ("Rased")
Modon’s utilization of the GIS system indicates the significant role this system plays in
day-to-day operations. In addition, the system is used to proactively generate statistical
information related to investment growth in industrial estates within the Kingdom.
Modon’s local IT Department team carries out the operation and maintenance efforts. The
integration between the different systems, in order to optimize operations, is reached
through developing web services across the multiple applications.
Modon’s IT team trains not only the end-users on utilizing the system, but it also holds
internal workshops to discuss the different enhancements required, as well as the resources
needed to mobilize the modifications and changes—these are facilitated through the ITIL
Change Request Committee.

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Figure 5: GIS project methodology
The migration from old forms of paperwork and complicated processing, which are both
lengthy and unprofessional, result in complications and a general sense of unreliability,
when it comes to utilizing a GIS as an intermediate application to better manage industrial
units. By way of integration with the portal system, which links customer profiles with
unique information, Modon has improved its processes and moved toward a more
professional customer service environment.
The existing internal application functionality allows Modon to perform daily operations
related to recommending, proposing, and allocating industrial and investment parcels for
investors. In order to gain confidence in making decisions, audits are done on the geo-db
on a regular basis.
Modon’s GIS has a centralized cadastral editing and management tool, in order to perform
the following:
 Create, edit, and manage GIS features, based on data survey results.
 Store survey results in GIS database for future analysis and reuse.
The GIS application generates over 20 different reports; however, Modon’s expansion,
coupled with the existence of different departments, will continue to require additional

14
reports. A web-based access-control interface, through which the management of the
authentication is given to Modon users, is processed.
In addition, a mobile extension enables Modon field officers to access all the necessary
information they need during site surveys, and they can verify the changes that were made
and “synced” to the Geo-DB again, after the visit is finished.
Modon’s web interface presents the basic layout of the industrial cities’ GIS maps and a
search engine, in order to enable investors to allocate zoning interests; it also provides a
way to better educate potential investors and the public about factories and services in the
industrial cities. Investors should be able to report any issues in the industrial cities
relating to violations or environmental abuse through this interface, allowing visitors to
provide all the facts interactively online. Modon security officers can be dispatched to
resolve any issues.
Figure 6: MODON GIS map
Land Allocation Process
1. The Project Department at Modon develops the master plan needed for new cities, and
divides the land areas into three types: industrial, residential, and services; industry
types are also divided.
2. After the master plan is done, it is mapped to Modon’s GIS system.
3. The investor inquires about industrial parcels through the e-services website.
4. The investor will receive the request; then, the request will be forwarded by e-
Services system to the Industrial Cities Department to start the allocation process.
5. The Industrial Cities Department will examine the investor’s request, and based on the
study, it is either approved or rejected. If the request is approved, then the Industrial
Cities Department will assign suitable land from the GIS system (which is based on
the investor’s request). The land inputted into the GIS will be transferred to the

15
"planned land", and the same request will be forwarded to PMS to register the
investor’s account, as well as account for the allocation and rental costs.
6. After the investor pays the parcel allocation fee through Sadad, The request is
forwarded to PMS to change the status, and the land status is changed to “allocated
land.”
The following land statuses may appear in the GIS:
 Undeveloped industrial land.
 Newly developed land available for allocation process.
 Parcels proposed for potential investors, but not yet approved.
 Approved and allocated parcels.
7. Future Key Enhancements to GIS
Land allocation privileges and access control are managed through the access control
interface. There are other potential benefits of deploying a GIS, which could be optimized
in the following ways, as we look toward the future:
 Generating maps in different forms, such as GIS/CAD. This extension is more
suitable for use in communicating and sharing information with
developers/contractors working on Modon infrastructure projects.
 Map publishing extensions can provide many benefits, in terms of marketing
newly developed industrial cities and providing maps and atlases to existing
operational cities.
 Remote sensing applications should be integrated into the GIS system, in order to
ensure compliance with environment protection regulations enforced in industrial
zones. Also, sensing applications provide fast response times in cases of accidents
or environment incidents.
 As the organization grows and more applications are developed, it is important
that the GIS application be integrated into the back-end side, in order to support
front-end applications, as needed.
8. Conclusions and Lessons Learned
As more entities realize the significance of GIS applications, government organizations, in
order to make implementation a success, should consider the following:

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 Management’s commitment to GIS deployment is a key factor to success.
 Training is crucial to end-users and the IT help desk, to make sure it is supported
and utilized effectively.
 Effective changes in management play a key role in moving away from relying on
AutoCAD for land allocation to utilizing a GIS application.
 The IT background for project sponsorship plays a major role in influencing upper
management’s decision to support the project.
 Modon employees are selective, motivated, and committed to deliver; as such,
implementing changes will be easier. The team gets rewarded, and Modon is
ranked among the top three best work environments, in terms of government
organizations in Saudi Arabia.
That Modon was given the SAG Excellence Award in GIS by ESRI signifies its success in
the GIS implementation project, which contains from three subsystems: 1) the Modon
External GIS system, which is used by investors and the public; 2) the Internal GIS
system, which is used by the Modon team to handle many tasks, such as land allocation
processes; and 3) Mobile extensions (Rased), which is used by industrial supervisors in
outside surveys.
9. References
1. Church, Richard L., "Geographical information systems and location science",
Computers & operations Research, 2002
2. Goodchild, Michael F., "Geographic Information Systems", Elsevier, 2005
3. Stevens, D., Dragicevic, S., and Rothley, K., "iCity: A GIS-CA modeling tool for
urban planning and decision making", Elsevier, 2007
4. Alterkawi, Mezyad M., "Measures towards a comprehensive municipal GIS – the
case of Ar-Riyadh Municipality", Habitat International, 2005
5. Patterson, Mark, and Nancy Hoalst-Pullen, "Local Government Use of GIS in
Comprehensive Planning", Springer Science+Business Media, 2009

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6. Bishop, Ian D., Escobar Francisco J., Karuppannan Sadasivam, Williamson Ian P.
,Yates Paul M., Suwarnarat Ksemsan and Yaqub Haidar W., "Spatial data
infrastructures for cities in developing countries", Elsevier Science, 2000
7. Ruiz, M. C., Romero E., Perez M.A. and Fernandez I., "Development and
application of a multi-criteria spatial decision support system for planning
sustainable industrial areas in Northern Spain", Elsevier, 2011
8. Dave, Donelan, "Managing Public Resources via GIS", The American City &
County, 1992
9. Geng, Yong and Cote Raymond, "Environmental Management Systems at the
Industrial Park Level in China", Springer-Verlag New York Inc, 2003
10. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), "Industrial estates:
Principles and practices", 1997
11. Coetzee, Josef Erasmus, "Competitive Strategies for multiple industrial estates",
University of Twente, The Netherlands, 2004
12. UNEP IE, "Editorial – environmental management and industrial estates: an
opportunity for sustainable development", In: Industry and Environmental
management, 1996
13. Peddle, M.T., "Planned industrial and commercial developments in the United
States: a review of the history, literature and empirical evidence regarding
industrial parks and research parks", UNEP, 1993
14. Okunuki, Kei-ichi, "Urban analysis with GIS", Kluwer Academic Publisher, 2001
15. O'Looney, J., "Beyond maps: GIS and decision making in local government", 2000,
ESRI Press

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16. Opadeyi, J. and Brown D., "Geographic Information Systems for Urban Planning
and Management in the Caribbean: Finding the Right Approach", West Indian
Journal of Engineering, 2008
17. http://uqu.edu.sa/files2/tiny_mce/plugins/filemanager/files/4260086/80_A_Abdulla
hAlshahrani_KSA.pdf
18. ESRI, http://www.esri.com/
19. Alrasheed, Saleh, "Modon GIS and Industrial Cities", Modon Presentation in Esri
Middle East & Africa User Conference, 2011
20. Modon, "GIS Solution for Modon RFP v.3.0"
21. Modon website, http://www.modon.gov.sa/English/

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