Residents fear for future over redevelopment plan

CITY REVAMP: Residents in Jeddah fear for the future as random districts are redeveloped. (Getty Images)

Residents of south Jeddah’s random districts, which are set to be redeveloped, have expressed fears they may end up homeless.

Jeddah Municipality has signed a contract with the Jeddah Development and Urban Recreation Company to develop several random districts in the southern parts of the city.

The municipality last month began the process of acquiring buildings from their owners but many residents fear they may not be compensated for land as they do not possess deeds proving they own the land, Arab News reported on Monday.

According to a press release issued by the Jeddah Municipality, people who do not possess deeds for their homes would only be compensated for their buildings and not the land.

The statement added that compensation would be given according to the size of the structure.

Saeed Al-Majrashi, a Saudi resident of the Al-Nuzlah Al-Yamaniah district, told the paper: “I have been living in this house which I have owned for the last 30 years. I don’t have deeds for the land. What will become of me now?”

Jeddah has more than 40 random residential localities covering an estimated area of 55 million square meters.

The project, which aims to turn the random districts into communities with green areas, offices and residential buildings, involves a number of districts in the southern side of the city, including Khuzam, Al-Sabeel, Al-Nuzlah and Al-Qurayat.

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