ahead has been given for large areas of real estate in the district of Al-Ruwais to be cleared as the Jeddah governorate works to address the problem of unplanned districts and illegal constructions. Prince Mit'eb Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, has approved the move and work is now expected to commence on July 25. Al-Ruwais is the second district to receive the attention of the authorities after the Khozam area became the first point of focus of state plans to develop unplanned areas in Makkah Region. The Al-Ruwais International Real Estate Development Company is to carry out the works jointly with the Jeddah Urban Development Company and Al-Ruwais Consortium for Real Estate Development, and surveys of the area are scheduled to be completed before the end of the Hijri year, ending on Dec. 17, 2009. The Al-Ruwais District Development Project in central Jeddah is demarcated by King Abdullah, Madina, Al-Andalus and Palestine streets and covers an area of nearly two million square meters, and the project covers the provision of public utilities and infrastructure, support for economic development, social, environmental and urban issues and the introduction of owners as shareholders in the development of the district. Residents of the area have, meanwhile, cautiously welcomed the move but urged that “realistic estimations” be made of the value of the property they stand to lose, fearing that compensation packages will not enable them to purchase plots of land elsewhere due to the rise in prices in addition to the costs of construction and furnishing. Hameed Al-Muzayyani said he was pleased that the area would see improved services such as sewer systems and efforts to address a rising crime rate. “But real estate prices are high these days,” he said, “the company and the mayoralty need to be aware of residents' concerns and compensate them accordingly, taking into account the current price of land.” According to statistics from Jeddah Mayoralty, unplanned districts in the governorate number 54, accounting for the residence of one third of the city's population, and the zones have raised concerns over issues related to a lack of basic services, health and safety standards, as well as security. – Okaz/SG – With reports from Arif Al-Shehri and Rami Al
