1. INTRODUCTION

The Government of Saudi Arabia, assisted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is engaged in the Fish Farming Centre Project (FI:UTFN/SAU/010/SAU) with its main activities directed to freshwater and marine aquaculture.

As part of the project operations FAO assigned Mr Colin E. Nash as Consultant from 15 February to 10 March 1985 with the following terms of reference.

In close collaboration with project personnel:

1. review detailed drawings elaborated by local consulting firm for first phase of construction;

2. on basis of own observations recommend necessary adjustments.

The author was accompanied by the Project Operations Officer from FAO, Mr R. Ziesler, who delivered additions to the terms of reference, namely:

In close collaboration with project personnel, the author will:

1. review the status of the project and evaluate its progress, identifying the major constraints, if any;

2. propose an implementation programme for the future based on the resources available.

1.1 Schedule

Eleven days were projected for the duration of the mission, with a specified departure date from home of 15 February 1985. The author arrived in Jeddah on the evening of Saturday, 16 February 1985. Meetings with project staff at the Fish Farming Centre were held each day from Sunday 17 to Wednesday 20 February. Preliminary reports and points for discussion with the design architect/engineers were prepared on Thursday 21 February. The author together with the Project Operations Officer, the Co-Manager, and the Project Aquaculture Expert, travelled to Riyadh on Friday 22 February. Meetings with FAO resident programme staff, and the consulting engineers, ARCH.CENTRE, were held in Riyadh on Saturday 23 February. The author and the project group from Jeddah returned to Jeddah on the evening of the 23 February. Final meetings with the project staff were held at the Fish Farming Centre on Sunday 24 February, and a visit was made to the Marine Science Centre of King Aziz University, Jeddah, which is about 20 km south of the project site. The author and the Project Operations Officer returned to Rome on Monday 25 February, and meetings and report preparation were conducted on the 25 and 26 February in FAO headquarters.

1.2 Collaborative Personnel

The project was discussed with the following individuals in either Jeddah or Riyadh, and useful points and comments were raised.