For a number of years many individuals in our country have been granted large tracts of land by the state. The reason for these grants is shrouded in mystery.
I believe this practice started due to the immense size of this country and relatively small (at that time) population. This created the impression among government officials that land was a virtually inexhaustible resource. We now know that there is no such thing as an inexhaustible resource.
This practice has led to a number of problems that are seriously affecting economic growth and development in this country.
The city of Jeddah where I live is a good example. During the 1970s, land grants totaled three times the area of the city which forced municipal authorities to add that much area to the city making it impossible to provide necessary infrastructure. To this day, we are suffering from this problem and, all the while, even more areas are being stuffed down the city’s throat to keep up with the insatiable demand for more and more land grants.
Another problem with this system is that land grants are given to individuals without any known and accepted criterion which leads to a sense of unequal and unfair distribution of these grants which in turn leads to social tension and discord.
The relentless pursuit of land grants has led to open spaces reserved for public amenities such as parks, community centers, schools etc., being granted away and the city and all its inhabitants are deprived of the use of these spaces.
Most persons who receive land grants are not able to develop them. This leads to most of these lands being sold to local real estate cartels. These cartels then become the determining force in the development and growth of Saudi cities and not the concerned government agencies. All development master plans are neatly and efficiently sabotaged by this highly irresponsible behavior.
The problem of land grants today has reached such a critical level that essential public services and important development projects are not being implemented due to the lack of available land. There are ludicrous situations where the government has to compensate individuals whose land it acquires — lands that were granted to that individual by the government in the first place.
I raise this subject today in view of the sweeping reforms that our nation is undergoing, in the hope that this very serious problem may be addressed and rectified.
On a lighter note: It is said that long, long ago in a land far, far away a traveling conman arrived in a small village one day. He found the people there to be simple and innocent. So, he pretended to be a scholar versed in matters of religion. The villagers were overjoyed and gave him their largest and cleanest hovel to live in and showered him with gifts and food.
The scoundrel spent his time with them dispensing advice on religious matters (matters he knew nothing about) and leading them in prayer.
One day as he led them in the evening prayer, a stranger entered the village and joined the congregation in prayer.
Every time the false imam made a mistake in his recitation of the Qur’an, the stranger would harrumph. The conman, being a clever fellow, understood and began to say the following in a loud and sonorous voice “Verily O harrumpher. The share is forty. Twenty for you. Twenty for me!”
