Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — The Committee for the Undeveloped Neighborhoods in Jeddah announced on Monday a package of services from the state to citizens whose homes are being dismantled in the slums and undeveloped neighborhoods in the Jeddah city. The foremost among these services is the provision of free housing.

More than 68,000 services have already been provided to the residents in the neighborhoods and these included transportation of furniture to their new location and provision of food baskets and meals.

The committee noted that the housing facilities that are marked for demolition include three categories. The first are housing of families that enjoy social security benefits. New housing facilities have so far been made available to more than 550 families whose homes were demolished.

They were transferred to development housing units after submission of requests to the committee. A total of 4,781 housing units will be fully ready for this category of house owners by the end of the year 2022.

The committee noted that the second category includes house owners residing in slums and demolished neighborhoods with legal title deeds. The state has rented housing units to them until they receive the compensation amounts.

The third category includes citizens who are not beneficiaries of the social security, and they do not have legal title deeds. The committee is carrying out studies about their cases and they will be allotted housing in cooperation with charity societies.

The committee said the three categories of citizens in the neighborhoods that are going to be removed in the future would be dealt with in accordance with the same pattern.

The Jeddah Mayoralty, in cooperation with the State Properties General Authority, started receiving requests from owners of properties located in slums and undeveloped neighborhoods that were marked for demolition in the Jeddah city, effective from Sunday.

The digital applications may be submitted through the mayoralty’s online portal (https://services.jeddah.gov.sa/customers), the mayoralty said while noting that there is no need to personally visit the committee’s field headquarters for the purpose of compensation.

The compensation for land and buildings will be given to owners of properties who have valid legal documents. In the event of no valid legal documents, the compensation will be restricted only to the buildings destined for demolition.