“The idea of a safe residential quarter will reduce crime and other negativities,” said Muhammad bin Adeeb Hassan Qutub, a member of the Committee on Security Guards and Safety at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Qutub said at Obhur’s Durrat Al-Arous resort, security guards were able to apprehend many overstayers and reduce the number of runaway housemaids and drivers.

“When a security guard is responsible for a limited area he will know everything about that area so nothing can go unnoticed,” he said, adding that permission to work in Saudi residential districts is a dream for many who work in the Kingdom’s security sector.

Qutub said residents of a posh neighborhood in Jeddah approached his company to provide guards for the entire area. The deal, however, fell through because some residents were reluctant to contribute to costs. He added that one hurdle faced by security companies is the fact that Saudi youths are often reluctant to work as security guards because of the low salaries.

“We employ young Saudis, but they only stay with us for a month or two before leaving. This is why we prefer employing foreigners,” he said.

Meanwhile, the City Council is considering a request of owners of Al-Fahd residential plots in east Jeddah to cancel an eight-month-old municipal ban on new constructions in the area.

Council Chairman Hussein Baaqil and Bassam Akhdar, the council member representing districts east of the Haramain Expressway, met with local residents in the council office on Sunday and discussed the problem. The officials assured them that their problem would be solved amicably.

Six plot owners said they bought plots for construction in the area with bank loans, but they were later denied construction licenses. About 40 percent of the plot owners had received construction permits because they applied eight months ago when there was no ban.