The Makkah Mayoralty has paid over SR4 billion to landowners who had their land expropriated by the government as part of expansion plans to the northern area of the Holy Mosque in Madina. Osama Al-Bar, Mayor of Makkah said the money was paid to three landowners after their compensation procedures were finished. The expansion project consisted of removing over 1,000 properties after being estimated by an assessment committee formed from representatives of the Makkah Mayoralty, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, and several real-estate experts. Landowners had appealed earlier that the estimates made on their land were under-valued. Al-Madina reported over SR28 billion has been allocated for future payments for the 1,000 properties near the Mosque. One square meter has been estimated to be worth close to SR450,000.
