Saudi Arabia targets unsafe buildings in Jeddah with utility cut-offs and demolition

Dubai: The Jeddah Mayoralty will begin disconnecting and removing utilities from dilapidated buildings in the Al Ruwais neighbourhood on Tuesday, as part of a large-scale safety and urban renewal drive in the Kingdom's Read Sea port city.

The General Directorate of Emergency and Crisis Management said it has completed the notification process for 1,011 buildings in the first phase of the project. Demolition orders have been issued by the Committee for Dilapidated Buildings after all regulatory procedures were finalised, and property owners were granted the legally required grace period.

The mayoralty said the disconnection and removal of services will be carried out in coordination with relevant authorities, in preparation for the demolition work to proceed according to the approved plan.

Officials said the move is aimed at enhancing public safety, protecting lives and property, and addressing the risks posed by structurally unsafe buildings to residents and the wider urban environment.

The mayoralty added that it will continue to monitor and assess buildings that pose potential threats to public safety across different districts of the governorate, in line with its broader objectives of improving the city’s appearance, raising quality of life, and creating a safer and more sustainable urban environment.

The measures form part of a comprehensive urban development strategy designed to upgrade Jeddah’s physical landscape and improve its overall urban fabric.