Kuwait and Petromin districts in the southern part of Jeddah, you start panicking because overstayers constitute 50 percent of the most undeveloped districts in the governorate. It is a common to see groups of African women sitting at the doorsteps of their ramshackle houses chatting away while carrying out their household chores. In all of the alleys of the two districts you find women displaying their indigenous products surrounded by piles of garbage and waste. Khaled Barnawi, one of the residents of Al-Kuwait District, said that the demography of the two districts changed when most of the original residents left for northern Jeddah, where there are better municipal services. He said the illegal aliens in the districts have a complete grip on these districts, to the extent that they close the main street leading to the district every Friday. This attracts a large number of African shoppers looking for indigenous wares. Mustafa Ahmad, one of the residents, has called on the authorities to find a solution to the overflowing sewage problem. He said many people living in the area suffer from diseases caused by the unhygienic and contaminated water. Ali Al-Shamrani, a Saudi citizen living in Petromin District, said the district's roads and streets need to be repaired and maintained. He said these roads have been badly affected by heavily loaded trucks and trailers, which usually park there for long periods. Marwan Salim said the presence of Petromin Refinery in the neighborhood has affected the health of citizens because of the emission of harmful gases. He said it was not surprising that most of the residents in this area suffer from chest allergies because of the polluted environment. Tariq Fallatah, one of the residents of Petromin District, warned about the hundreds of dilapidated houses and buildings in the district, which he describes as a “time bomb” because they could collapse at any time. He said the narrow alleys and streets of the district prevent the Civil Defense from bringing in their machinery and fire engines when there are fires or other disasters. Yasser Alawi has criticized the delay in the implementation of infrastructure projects in the districts. The Jeddah Company for Urban Development has classified Petromin as one of the poorest districts in Jeddah and therefore not an attractive area for investments. The company has also stated that real estate costs cannot be recouped after developments take place.
