Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Jeddah Municipality is preparing to demolish 3,000 houses from north to south, Al-Madinah newspaper reported. The municipality declared a renovation and demolition project for dilapidated buildings and houses had begun. The scheme will cover properties north and south of Palestine Road. It also aims to ensure the safety of citizens and eliminate the threat posed by buildings with weak infrastructure, revamp the overall image of the city by renovating ancient buildings and rid the city of warehouses and havens for illegals. The project so far has estimated that around 20,000 houses need to be demolished or renovated. However, only 3,000 are currently undergoing demolition and renovation. The municipality is also negotiating the demolition and renovation of 7,500 other houses. Municipality spokesman Mohammad Obaid Al-Bugami said the municipality has formed committees to patrol the city, nearby villages and suburbs to identify buildings that are near collapse. The committee then decides which buildings are in need of demolition and which are in need of renovation by consulting an architect. The owners of the building are then given a notice by the municipality. In case the owner does not respond, the municipality takes care of the demolition and renovation and fines the owner for a lack of response. In the past three years, 200 buildings were demolished and five demolition and construction companies bid for the project. Bidding for the demolition contract in the north of Jeddah has reached SR9.6 million while it has reached SR6 million in the south. Al-Bugami added the municipality welcomes citizens' reports on dilapidated buildings.
