MAKKAH: Mayor of Makkah Osama Al-Bar denied on Saturday that municipal officials have halted construction permits to build homes in Sharia district because of concern about flash flooding.
“There are some violations being committed in this area and we are correcting things,” the mayor told Arab News.
“(But) there is no truth to the claims that we are intending to stop all building licenses in some parts of Sharia district because they are in the passageway of floods.”
Concerns over flooding have been elevated in Makkah and Jeddah following the fatal torrential rains and flooding of Nov. 25 that caused considerable damages to homes in the region, especially in Jeddah and to a lesser extent Makkah.
Some areas of Sharia district are located in Wadi Al-Baroud, a natural desert floodplain for the occasional heavy rains that strike the western region in the winter months.
There have been some demolitions of structures in the danger zones, but the mayor said none of these removals have taken place inside the residential district.
Despite complaints by some local farmers, a levee has been built in the area as a protective measure aimed at diverting floodwaters into adjoining Wadi Arnah.
The rumors that construction permits have been halted have reportedly lowered land prices in the area, home to an estimated 100,000 people.
