MAKKAH, 3 January 2006 — A group of Umm Al-Qura University students are finding themselves homeless, thanks to landlords that see financial opportunities in kicking them out to make room for rent-paying Haj pilgrims, Asharq Al-Awsat daily reported yesterday.

The students are all foreign and many of them are resorting to sleeping on sidewalks, cars and parks while still having to go to class. Housing in Makkah has essentially been unattainable in the short term due to the Haj.

University student Abdulrahman Al-Shareeq said that he and some other students paid premium prices at an area hotel after being kicked out of the furnished apartment they arranged for their studies. But then they were kicked out of the hotel room, too. Shareeq was lucky enough to be graced with the offer of a friend’s home.

“I was going to sleep on the sidewalk that day if it was not for one of my friends who lives in Jeddah. He took me into his apartment and we come and go together to the university,” said Shareeq.

Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, said that teachers have not taken into consideration their situation as homeless students. They have been threatened with severe grade punishment if they miss their classes. He said that many students are coming to class after spending their nights on sidewalks or public gardens.

Shareeq added that what made the matter worse was late disbursements of student-housing funds. Many landlords also boosted rents during Ramadan; in one case a student claimed his rent went up from SR1,200 to SR3,400.

He said that students have tried addressing this problem with officials at the university. They claim to have been ignored because they’re foreign students.

University Dean Saleh Al-Mabouth blamed the students for not reporting this problem sooner so that the school could make arrangements in time. He said that the university has disbursed financial assistance to over 600 students and have provided alternative housing to more than 350 students.

He admitted that there was a problem with the check disbursements and promised to issue all late checks after the Haj.