The Jeddah Urban Development Company says it will pay compensation for expropriated property in Al-Ruwais District as soon as all the necessary procedures have been completed. There are plans to demolish about 2,000 homes in the run-down district and build a residential district with hotels, malls, restaurants and a business center. After compensation is paid, property owners will have four months ending on May 21, to vacate the properties because this is when all utilities will be cut. Eng. Osama Shahata, director of the department to develop unplanned areas, said that owners have the right to object to valuations of their properties. The Arabian Resan Company, which is jointly responsible with the Jeddah Urban Development Company for the project, reassured owners without title deeds that they will get proper compensation. Eng. Tariq Al-Shathli, Executive Director of Resan Company, said: “The company took a series of measures to safeguard the rights of owners. The procedures included resurveying and reassessing properties to determine the right compensation.” Shahata said that the owners who received their property appraisal certificates and were not satisfied should go to the Bureau of Grievances within six days of the receipt date. “Article 77 of the regulations to develop unplanned areas stipulates that owners may go to the Bureau of Grievances and that the company will comply with the Bureau's decision.” Shahata said that the company will start working on the expropriated property once utilities have been cut. He called on all owners who have not registered their properties to cooperate with the company to safeguard their rights and receive proper compensation. A recent study of the Al-Ruwais district in central Jeddah has shown that between 52 and 59 percent of its inhabitants lack the most basic services. __
