Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – Al-Jamea, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, continues to suffer from myriad complicated problems including unplanned blocks and buildings, faltering projects, and constant sewage overflows which have created a shelter for rodents and insects. The residents of the neighborhood see a flicker of hope in the new Jeddah Mayor Salih Al-Turki. They claim that their complaints about the neighborhood's problems have not been given any attention by Al-Turki’s predecessors.

Perhaps the most complicated problem is the incomplete projects followed by the spread of epidemics and traffic congestion. The neighborhood itself is not planned well and is an eyesore. Opposite to it lies the King Abdulaziz University. The neighborhood is a safe haven for undocumented workers and violators of residency regulations as well as criminals. Potholes can be found everywhere in the neighborhood and cause a lot of damage to residents’ cars.

Salih Al-Yafee, a resident, said people continue to suffer from sewage overflows, poorly-asphalted and poor-lit streets. The new Jeddah mayor had an expert inspect the problems on first-hand basis and ordered that pumps should be installed temporarily to help reduce the level of underground water, Al-Yafee said. “We hope that the mayor either imposes penalty on contractors who delayed the implementation of projects or gives the projects to different contractors. We don’t have pedestrian bridges although they are important,” he said.

Ahmed Al-Farshooti said the new mayor should do something about the condition of hygiene and cleanliness because the neighborhood is like the façade of Jeddah and visitors pass by it. The reason the neighborhood has been infested with rodents and insects as well as mosquitoes is poor maintenance and cleanliness. Abdulaziz Al-Qadeer, another resident, said the majority of people in the neighborhood hope that urgent solutions will be found for the potholes and poor asphalt.

Another resident, Muhammad Al-Qaysi, said most of the streets are poorly-lit and seem to be dark. They have become the favorite place for immoral practices by young men. Some deserted repair shops have turned into a shelter for African youth who tend to gather and sit inside the shops, posing great dangers to the residents.

“We hope the new mayor will fix these problems from which we have suffered for a long time. People here are worried because the problems have been on the increase. We need urgent solutions based on a timeline. The new mayor enjoys a considerable experience as he has held senior positions in various sectors,” Al-Qaysi said.

During a meeting of the Jeddah Municipal Council which was held in the near past, the residents of the neighborhood listed the problems they have been suffering from such as frequent building encroachments, old buildings constructed without licenses, buildings not having title deeds, poor asphalt, absence of public parks and green areas for youth. At the meeting the residents called for rehabilitating the infrastructure of streets, constructing public parks and greenery, putting an end to building encroachments, reasphalting the streets, cleaning the streets and mosques, constructing playing fields for youth, providing public restrooms and intensifying inspection of restaurateurs and shops.