JEDDAH, 23 February 2005 — Poverty exists in many parts of the Kingdom, often as a result of unemployment, a nationwide survey has revealed.

The survey which was conducted by Prince Abdullah Foundation for Housing and whose results were published in Al-Watan daily on Monday, also revealed a growing crime rate in some parts of the country, especially in Al-Laith and Yalamlem (south of Jeddah).

Stealing sheep is rampant in Adham and Jaiza, villages of Al-Laith, while Yalamlem is notorious for drug-related crimes. Drug abuse and smuggling are also on the increase in Haqel, close to the Kingdom’s northern border. Housing conditions in Qunfudha, a town on the Red Sea south of Jeddah, are generally very poor. In some areas of the town, as many as 10 people live in a single room.

Officials who conducted the survey blamed unemployment and inadequate social security allowances for the poverty. The officials noted a lack of infrastructure utility services — such as electricity, water, schools and roads — in Asfan near Jeddah. They said the same problems existed in Al-Laith. Thoul, a village not far from Jeddah, suffers from a dearth of agricultural production and many residents want to migrate to cities, the survey showed. Despite its large industrial zone, many people in Yanbu suffer from unemployment and poverty, the survey found.

There are also dilapidated buildings and badly-maintained houses in Al-Wajh in the Tabuk region. The survey found that poverty was rampant in bedouin areas of Al-Baha which lacks roads linking many of its villages. Most of the poor in the Asir region live in the coastal areas and the eastern part of the region, Al-Watan said.

On Sarawat Mountains, poverty was comparatively low, the survey found. In Jizan, poverty was found in the mountains and also in coastal areas, especially among fishermen, bedouin and shepherds. Additionally, an increasing number of people living illegally in the region cause many security problems.

Unemployment is also a big problem in the poor neighborhoods of Al-Ahsa and Qateef in the Eastern Province. The survey noted an increase in hereditary diseases in the two cities because of marriage between relatives.

The government has launched a major campaign to eradicate poverty. Crown Prince Abdullah called for a national strategy to eliminate poverty after a surprise visit to a poor area in Riyadh in November 2002. The government later established a fund to combat poverty which intends to turn the poor into productive citizens, rather than keeping them dependent upon society. It will promote the concept of productive families by financing cottage industries.

The Prince Abdullah Foundation, a charity established by the crown prince, has embarked on a project to build emergency housing units for the poor in six villages on the Kingdom’s western and eastern coasts. The project includes Al-Shabaan and Al-Hasa villages in the Tabuk region, Al-Nabah village in the Madinah region, Al-Ghala village in the Makkah region, Al-Raas Birraith village in the Jizan region and Al-Juran village in the Eastern Province.