Twenty employees of Jeddah Islamic Port have been threatened with eviction from their residential complex at King Fahd Ship Repair Dock. The threat comes in response to their complaints about the conditions of the 30-year-old premises. Employees and their families at the port-owned housing units in Al-Khumrah in the south of Jeddah say they have resorted to carrying out their own improvements to housing units, resulting in the port administration issuing them with strongly worded letters followed by requests that they vacate the residences for violating contract terms. Tenants say they lack basic needs and services, complain of poor standards of cleanliness and say their electricity supply which comes from generators has caused damage to household appliances. They also lament the lack of safety provisions, including fire safety facilities, and say they feel continual anxiety over the safety of their families while at work in the port. “There is no fire station nearby and we have no fire extinguishers,” say resident port employees Kamel Al-Shareef, Muhammad Al- Aqeeli and Ali Al-Ghamdi. “The housing area has no street lighting, making it pitch black at night. We are scared to go out as there is a lack of security guards around the housing units at night, and only one security guard at the main gate.” The complex, which is located in an isolated area of the city, is surrounded by a wall said to be in a dilapidated state, with holes allowing stray dogs to enter and pose a danger as well as a nuisance with continual barking during the night, and a prevalence of “snakes and poisonous insects.” Gaps in fences let in thieves. Exposed electricity wires, residents say, are a danger to their children. The employees also complain about the absence of any periodic maintenance of their housing which has allowed cracks and leaks to develop in walls and roofs, causing water to enter rooms during rains. Residents say there is no health center. “A clinic which was opened several years ago was closed for unknown reasons, and the place has become full of dust,” one local said. “Whenever someone needs to see a doctor they have to drive to a hospital in Jeddah, 40 km away.” Resident employees said economic circumstances forced them to stay at the housing complex. “Ten percent of our monthly salary is deducted in return for accommodation here. We barely earn SR5,000,” Kamel Al-Shareef said. “The Port management gave us these dilapidated rooms without renovating them, and says we should renovate them at our own expense, but they are placing conditions that we cannot meet. They didn't take into consideration the fact that the housing complex is a long way from the city. We have no schools here or safety facilities.” “Another housing complex was built several years ago but before it was given over to employees it was burgled and everything was stolen from it.” The complex, just a few meters from their current accommodation, remains deserted after thieves reportedly stripped it of everything including electricity cables, and it now provides housing for stray dogs. The residents also accuse port authorities of favoring expatriate workers whose housing has undergone renovation. “Officials announce every year that tens of millions are to be spent on renovating our complex but as yet they have done nothing. The management said that if any resident makes changes to the courtyard of his house, he will be evicted,” Al-Shareef said. A source from Jeddah Islamic Port authorities said the notices to vacate were a result of changes employees had performed without permission on the housing units, constituting a violation of contract terms. The source added that the complex would be renovated and improved soon.
