JEDDAH: Numerous homeowners in the central district of Al-Ruwais have said they do not intend to present the requested title deeds to Jeddah Urban Development Company, citing “unclear procedures” for property removal and objections to rumored land valuations ahead of compensation. Residents were reminded earlier this month that they have until the end of the year to present proof of ownership to the company ahead of compensation and land clearance to make way for extensive development works in the zone, but a purported lack of information is worrying locals. “We still don't know anything about the procedures for property removal, other than that the company wants to see our property deeds,” said Al-Ruwais resident Matouq Al-Judaibi. “The compensation of around 1,000 riyals per square meter is not enough to buy land outside the urban zone, let alone build on it, and although some houses are small, they also have small shops or businesses attached which bring in good incomes which will be cut off if they are cleared away.” Al-Judaibi added that compensating owners with residential apartments was “not fair”. “Some of the houses as they stand have two floors or more accomodating more than one family,” he said. “Offering an apartment as a replacement is simply not equivalent.” Hunaid Al-Muzzayani says he and his neighbors will not submit their documents as their land and homes have still not been valued for compensation. “The procedures are not clear, and most people here have limited incomes, so how can they expect us to submit our title deeds when they still haven't told us how much we will be compensated?” he asked. “There should be meetings with residents to clear things up and answer our questions.” According to resident Abdul Aziz Al-Harbi, there is only “one small office for title deed submissions”. “When we go to ask anything we always get the same answer – ‘Now's the deadline for handing in property deeds, land value assessment will be done later', they say.” The “Umdah” of Al-Ruwais – a traditional form of local administrator – said that the Jeddah mayoralty and the development company had not informed residents of the compensation process, and that the only information they had was gleaned from the press. “The mayoralty should have put in place a proper system for directly informing residents of the development and compensation processes and procedures,” said Talal Bin Amru. He also denied claims that non-Saudis constituted over 80 percent of Al-Ruwais residents. “There are far more Saudis here than non-Saudis,” he said. “Compensation, however large, will not match the financial and social value of their houses which have been their homes for a long time.” The Al-Ruwais Real Estate Development Company blamed “rumors” for people holding back their property deeds. “Instructions from the Emir of Makkah Prince Khalid Al-Faisal ensure that compensation regulations are heeded and that homeowners are informed six months prior to property removal, and the company is still in the process of gathering information which will greatly assist in protecting the rights of owners,” said Abdullah Al-Solaiman of Al-Ruwais Real Estate's Development Works and Marketing Department. “There are rumormongers who don't care for the national interest and who are causing this hesitancy on the part of owners, but things have started to improve recently and owners have begun to cooperate.” Al-Solaiman said that residents who are unable to provide title deeds for their homes can present other forms of proof of ownership, such as electricity bills, a copy of national identity documents, or documents demarcating the site. “There are approximately 2,800 properties in the Al-Ruwais development zone, and over 1,000 of them do not have legal title deeds,” he said. “Most of them are small properties and they constitute no more than 30 percent of the zone's area… Once owners fulfill the various conditions they will be compensated in accordance with the law in the same way as other owners.”
