Saudi Gazette report MAKKAH — The municipality tore down several houses in Al-Muqannaha village, west of Makkah, last Sunday without giving prior notice to the residents to evacuate, Makkah daily reported. Residents have submitted a complaint to the Human Rights Commission alleging that the Makkah municipality did not follow the proper procedure before tearing down their homes. They said regulations call for notifying house owners three times that their houses will be removed, but the municipality has demolished 20 two-story houses in the village ignoring the procedures. In addition, they said, the municipality has removed private resorts and sheep pens. When several residents tried to stop the municipality's workers, security officers detained them. A prominent resident said people living in the village spent hundreds of thousands of riyals to build houses as they could not afford the high rental prices inside Makkah. "The municipality has demolished their houses forcing them to live in tents beside their damaged houses," he said. Another resident said the village already had utility services and people were demanding infrastructure development, such as asphalting, sidewalks and street lighting, in addition to schools for their children, who currently attend schools in Makkah. "The demolition of our houses has destroyed our dreams, and we are now just asking to keep our house," he said. The head of Al-Shawqiah municipality branch, Bandar Qabbani, said any removal of houses is implemented according to instructions from the governorate. Sources said that Makkah City Council has commissioned a special committee to review the situation and will submit its report and recommendations to be discussed during the upcoming session of the council next month.
