Makkah, NU Online
Mayor of Makkah Osama Al-Bar has indicated that there will be additions and alterations in the structures of existing multistory residential buildings in the holy city with the passing of a new law.

On the other hand, real estate sources said that a further delay in enacting the proposed law concerning an increase in the elevation of existing residential buildings had become a major factor in slowing down construction activities at several townships in the holy city, Al-Eqtisadiah business daily reported on Tuesday.

Al-Bar said that the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs had been carrying out studies with regard to the proposed law for multistory buildings. “When the study is completed and accorded approval, a decision will be announced without delay. The study contains some additions and changes to the construction norms of residential buildings at some townships where the new law for multistory buildings will be implemented,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mansour Abu Rayash, head of the real estate committee at Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, voiced displeasure over discrepancies with regard to giving license to construction of multistory buildings. “There are two townships adjacent to each other situated outside the ring road in Makkah. The first township has a license to build eight or more floors, while the second one has not been given license to build more than two floors,” he said while drawing attention to anomalies existing in the real estate construction law.

Noting that the delay in issuing the new regulation to allow additional floors in residential buildings would further aggravate the housing crisis in the holy city, Abu Rayash called for expediting procedures to finish the study and submit it to the concerned authorities for approval.

He said that the current hike in house rent was not at all affordable for ordinary citizens. “A citizen with a monthly income of SR7,000 is not in a position to lease a residential flat with an annual rent of SR40,000. The only solution to this crisis is to quickly enact the law to allow more multi-story buildings to narrow down the gap between demand and supply,” he said, adding that this would help bring down rent structures, especially for newly married couples who seek permanent housing.

Commenting on the issue, Hani Al-Matrafi, a real estate investor in Makkah, said that the delay in issuance of the proposed law had resulted in slowing down construction activities in the holy city by about 25 percent. Owners of some buildings who want to build additional floors are confused about the regulations specifying separate parking areas for the buildings,” he said.

It has been nearly one year since the Makkah municipality approved making an increase in the floors of residential buildings. Permission was granted to increase floors to four at regions situated between the second and third ring roads, while floors of buildings in the region close to the fourth ring road were restricted to three, and buildings in Al-Awali and Takhassusi districts to two. The council had also approved a study carried by the mayoralty to end the discrepancies existing among various districts in the city with regard to floors of residential buildings. Even some citizens dared to violate the law by building additional floors to their buildings. (dar)