The status of the people living in Makkah's unplanned districts must be rectified and they should not remain without residence permits (Iqamas), reiterated Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, after an inspection tour to the areas Saturday. A timetable must be set to find a humanitarian solution to the problems of illegal residents of these districts, he said. The unplanned districts of Makkah, which lie on the costliest plots of land in the world, will soon be turned into modern developed districts. But these densely populated haphazard districts are standing in the way of mega projects. Prince Khaled said that the project to develop the unplanned districts is not only architectural but also humanitarian. The Emir called for speedy work to ameliorate the living standard of residents of these unplanned districts, which have turned into backward areas. Their residents are living in unhygienic conditions and they lack basic amenities of life. “What is most important now is to complete the field surveys and find alternative accommodations for the people residing in these districts. This will be followed by price evaluation, expropriation, demolition and construction,” he said. The project has received State support. The cost of the infrastructure projects is being borne by the State, which is contributing in financing through government investment funds. The districts Prince Khaled toured included Al-Zuhoor, Al-Khaldiah, Al-Nakkasah, Al-Sharashef and Al-Kidwah. These are among the districts where development projects were approved by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in 2008. A higher committee presided over by Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, was formed to oversee the development of the area. __
