The calls come after a Makkah court rejected a prolonged lawsuit filed by a man against Makkah Municipality claiming ownership of nearly half of the land.

The court ruled that the entire plot belongs to the municipality. In their appeal to the municipality, the citizens said there is a severe shortage of housing in Makkah, especially following the demolition of buildings close to the Grand Mosque to make way for expansions. “We are eager to build houses at the land we own. To facilitate the construction, the municipality should connect the area to utility networks,” said an owner of a plot in the district.

The plot also contains 20,000 housing units, which were constructed a few years ago and wait to be connected to the electricity grid. According to a Saudi Electricity Co. (SEC) official, plans and studies to connect the homes to the electricity grid have been completed and handed over to the municipality, which will decide when the connection should be made.

“The prolonged legal dispute had delayed the power connection plan and forced the owners of many housing units to operate diesel generators for electricity. It’s very expensive to get electricity like this, not to mention the environmental problems that these machines cause,” he added.

Atallah Al-Hajjaji, a real estate expert in Makkah, said the Crown Prince Land Plot is important. “This area contains homes for a large number of Makkan families. It’s situated on a strategic location at the western border of Makkah and close to Jeddah,” he said, adding that the land is crucial in reducing congestion in Makkah and easily accessible for those coming from Jeddah.

He added that the holy city is facing a shortage in accommodation and that it is difficult to establish new residential districts because of the city’s mountainous terrain and the threat of flash floods.

Development on the land is expected to play a vital role in dealing with the housing problems in the undeveloped districts of Makkah such as Al-Mansour, Al-Rusaifa, Al-Hindawiya and Al-Zaha-rain areas, which are located at the main entrance to the city from Jeddah.

Saudi citizen Saad bin Ali said the Crown Prince Land Plot needs basic services such as water and electricity connections; a sewage network; schools for boys and girls; and asphalting of and lighting for roads and streets. “There’s also a need to further expand the plot at the western and southwestern sides to fulfill the housing requirements of a large number of people who live in Makkah,” he added.