The company executing the project to transform the Al-Ruwais District has started handing over assessment decisions to owners of property here, according to Jeddah Urban Development Company, an affiliate of the Jeddah Mayoralty. The announcement came as the deadline draws near to vacate the area for the demolition work to begin. Officials, who said little or no planning has gone into much of the old district that is home to the city's largest cemetery, have announced plans to demolish about 2,000 homes and build in their place a residential district with hotels, malls, restaurants and a business center. The project area is bordered by King Abdullah, Madina, Al-Andalus and Palestine roads, officials said. The company developing the project received the assessment decisions from an independent committee, which assessed property belonging to citizens who submitted title deeds to the Owners' Relations Office in Al-Ruwais District. The committee, made up of representatives of government and private authorities, assessed the property through specific and recognized criteria. The committee is operating as per controls for assessing property values in the unplanned districts that are to be developed following regulations to ensure justice and transparency in assessing property. According to regulations on development of unplanned districts, property owners cannot determine the compensation value for their properties unless they hand over the title deeds to the Owners' Relations Office, which follows a series of procedures. If owners are not satisfied with compensation decisions approved by the assessment committee, they can demand reconsideration within two months from receiving the decision. The committee dealt with rental property through assessing the annual rents, according to Clause 26, which is implemented for property without flaws or disputes that is sound and usable. In those cases, owners are compensated for the value of their property, including the rent they deserve, from the date of vacating the property until the date for beginning work to develop the project or the start of trading in its shares. __
