MAKKAH, 4 November 2007 — The National Human Rights Society (NHRS) is currently studying the legal aspects of a complaint by 112 shopkeepers against the Presidency for the Holy Mosques Affairs, which has disconnected the power supply to their shops in the Grand Mosque complex for the past 20 months.

The presidency disconnected the electricity supply because it wanted to start a toilet project in the Shamia side of the Grand Mosque, the shopkeepers said.

The shops are housed in buildings owned by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance.

The businessmen estimated the total loss incurred by the disconnection at SR15 million. Their rental contracts are still valid and the rents are being paid to the endowments department.

When they complained to the governor’s office, it decided in favor of the businessmen and the power supply was restored. But the supply was disconnected again after two weeks.

The aggrieved shopkeepers finally sought the intervention of the human rights group after they failed to find a solution to their problems.

The society has promised to take the matter up with the concerned department in order to resume the power supply to the shops so that their owners may make up at least part of their losses by working in the upcoming Haj season or until the dispute is finally settled.

However, the presidency argues that the power supply should be stopped in order to start the new project. The endowment department maintains that letting the shops to continue their operations is in the interest of the department, which collects SR84,000 in annual rents from each shop.

The businessmen doubt if the toilet project will ever be implemented. The project has not been launched since March 28, 2006, when the supply was disconnected and shopowners demand that power supply should be restored at least until the project’s launch.

Mansour Abu Rayash, director of the human rights branch in Makkah, said the presidency did not have authority over the property of the endowment department. The presidency should not force the property to close down, he said.

However, the shopkeepers will have to vacate if the public interest demanded it, he added.

On the other hand, the Civil Defense in Makkah made a separate report to the governor’s office pointing out the fire hazard involved in leaving the shops to operate without power. The report said the temporary electrical connections to the shops posed a fire risk.