Tariq A. Al-Maeena Earlier this year Jeddah Municipality launched a major crackdown on land encroachers. They started by bulldozing the many walled plots of land that belong to the state and that have been illegally seized by land thieves. According to a spokesman at the municipality, his organization unearthed over 1.5 million square meters of government land that have been taken over illegally in the city. At the time of the operation, the plans were to seize over one million square meters from unlawful squatters with the assistance of the police in the southern section of the city. The spokesman added that this was not the first time that people had illegally occupied government land and that much of the encroached land bordered the outer perimeters of the city where no significant development had taken place. He said the municipality has sent in bulldozers to break down walls and boundaries that have been built by these land grabbers, including many such plots bordering the old Makkah Road. Prior to this operation, the municipality removed illegal occupiers from more than 585,000 square meters of government land in Jeddah in an operation that lasted over three months with the help of the police. They concentrated on three areas on the outskirts of the city and discovered during their operation that the problem was of a much greater magnitude and would require more intensified efforts to recover most, if not all, of the state's land. Warning that tough action would be taken against lawbreakers, the municipality urged those with knowledge of property violations to call a specific number or to report it on their website. The municipality should be commended for finally waking up and discovering that land which has been illegally occupied must be reclaimed. It is no secret that many land transactions in the city have had a dubious past. Corruption among city officials came to light after the rains of 2009 which left over 130 people dead. Charges have been filed against various officials including mayors. But let me alert the municipality to perhaps many more such acres of land that have been walled off under dubious deals and specifically those on or near the waterfront of the city. One simply has to take a drive along the north Corniche to realize that the empty yet walled areas bordering public land have no beginning or end. Who owns them and under what circumstances were they purchased? Are the deals transparent and can they stand up to an intensive review? Over the years we have read about corrupt notaries public who forged land deeds for financial favors. We have also heard of corrupt businessmen paying officials for their attestation to the deeds of property that legally belongs to the state. The bigger the transactions, the larger the acreage, the more money for everybody involved in such shady deals. The only loser in this case is the state and the public. Until recently, land allocated for public parks and public convenience was mysteriously absent from the city landscape. It was only after the 2009 flood which led to the public disclosure of corruption and land mismanagement that parks began to materialize in every neighborhood. Where was this land before that time? The government has made its position very clear. It will not tolerate this form of corruption that steals from the many to favor the few. Ministers have been replaced for their lethargic attitude to government goals. The government has demonstrated a determination to ensure that Saudi society is not harmed by the greed of a few whose corruption affects many. Jeddah Municipality should be encouraged to intensify its crackdown on all land that has been encroached upon whether it is developed or not. Any suspected land grab should be carefully scrutinized and deeds to such properties should be given a second look. There can be no better time to put an end to this practice than now. The author can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
