Emirate orders to punish land thieves, remove encroachments west of Makkah

MAKKAH — The emirate of Makkah province has issued orders to remove all violations taking place on public land owned by the Ministry of Finance to the west of the holy city. The emirate stressed that the instructions were given in accordance with the recommendations of a committee that investigated the violations. The emirate ordered to remove all structures illegally built on the plots and form a new committee to monitor the situation. Owners of houses at the location will be compensated and given plots elsewhere. Also, traders who engaged in fraudulent land deals will be held accountable and their names publicized. The emirate confirmed that given the importance of the location for infrastructure projects in the interest of the public, fixing the situation will not be taken lightly. It said the absence of such action could lead to the spread of slums in the area, hampering development work and disrupting public projects. The emirate recommended that after coordination with the financial authorities, landowners and the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs people who have built houses on the land be compensated with satisfactory amounts that match prevailing prices in the area, in addition to giving them plots of land within a structured scheme currently carried out by the Municipality of Makkah.