Saggaf Palace neighboring the Makkah Mayoralty in the Al-Ma'abidah District, collapsed on Wednesday after allegedly years of neglect by the authorities. The Civil Defense teams with heavy machinery and rescue teams were rushed to the scene. However, no human casualties were reported. Three years ago a fire had broken out at the Palace. Lt. Col. Ali Al-Muntashiri, Spokesman for the Makkah Police said the Makkah Mayoralty represented by the branch municipalities and “The Committee for Dilapidated Buildings” was the agencies responsible for issuing warnings about dangerous buildings. “It is not the responsibility of the Civil Defense to issue a warning on the likely collapse of a building. The authority responsible for such matters is the Mayoralty. We are not a technical authority. Our concern is related to fire safety only. We have nothing to do with construction safety,” he stressed. Fawaz Al-Dahhas, Professor of History and Antiquities at Umm Al-Qura University, said the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), is partly to blame for what is happening to historical sites in Makkah. “Not giving enough attention to these sites has made Makkah a city almost devoid of any historical antiquities. Al-Saggaf Palace was the latest victim of neglect after it was partially renovated externally on the occasion of the centennial celebrations 10 years ago. The work was incomplete because it did not include internal restructuring to ensure that it remained in the same condition and did not become dilapidated with time.”
