Saudi Arabia: Removal of Jeddah’s last slums begins

Cairo: Municipal authorities in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea city of Jeddah are set to begin Saturday razing the last two slum districts as part of a previously announced timetable, local media said.

The two districts are Umm Al Salm and Kilo 14.

A committee in charge of developing slum areas in Jeddah has continued providing services for residents of those districts including transport of their furniture, rehousing, food and compensation applications.

Thirty out of 32 slum districts have already been removed in Jeddah as part of a redevelopment scheme.

The redevelopment programme aims at improving life quality and giving residents access to all basic services, mainly health care, education and housing, officials said.

Jeddah authorities in July quashed rumours that demolition of remaining slums in Jeddah will be postponed.

Slum demolitions recently resumed in Jeddah after they were put on hold during the month of Ramadan that ended in May.

Last February, authorities resumed a phased plan to develop a densely populated slum area in the holy city of Mecca, of which Jeddah is administratively part, with the aim of eliminating visual disfigurement of the city known as the Holy Capital of the kingdom.