He said only 10,000 citizens remain on the waiting list of applicants seeking allotment of land over the past five years.

“Procedures for the distribution of land among the beneficiaries will be announced soon. It is estimated that there are about 31,000 plots of vacant government land in the Crown Prince townships in south Makkah alone,” he said.

Speaking to a local Arabic daily, Al-Bar said the municipal authorities are awaiting orders from the higher authorities with regard to allotment of land to citizens directly or authorizing the Ministry of Housing to do it.

“In any case, the citizens will be the beneficiaries,” he said.

The mayor said the waiting list included names of citizens who had applied for government land since the period of former Makkah Gov. Prince Abdul Majeed, who died in May 2007.

“Names of deserving citizens without homes will be included in the list for allotment of land, and this will be after getting approval from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

The vacant plots in the townships will either be allotted to citizens or the citizens will be given housing units in line with the new housing strategy,” he said, adding that an announcement in this regard will be made soon.