Landlords and owners of residential buildings and apartments in Jeddah are concerned about delays in securing electricity connection for their properties, which could last for months in some cases.
They say that this is a matter of serious concern now that the buildings have been completed in compliance with government conditions and technical specifications and after having completed the procedures necessary for power connection.
Ahmad Al-Faqih, director of a leading real estate company, said: “We are still suffering from delays in securing electricity connections. We are in the business of selling and leasing residential buildings and apartments, and these delays hurt us. The problem is felt strongly in a number of our buildings in the neighborhoods of Naseem, Marwah and Haramain.”
“This has caused us much embarrassment with people who bought or leased the units, and who are eagerly awaiting power connection,” he added.
We explained to them that we completed all the necessary and formal steps with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). But SEC keeps telling us that we have to wait, since there are many thousands of buildings and units waiting in line.”
A senior SEC official said: “The reasons for delays are due mostly to the fact that many owners of the residential units have not complied with the requirements and conditions of SEC. One of the necessary conditions is that there has to be a location for the distribution station. No distribution station, no power. It’s that simple. The building blueprints require them to have distribution stations, but they do not comply with this requirement.”
“We keep coordinating with the municipalities and we press the need for distribution stations in large buildings. Some of the buildings in the neighborhoods of Marwah and Haramain in Jeddah are seven stories high,” he said.
“There are other reasons too. Some, municipalities delay the issuance of excavation permits because the buildings are in violation of certain requirements or specifications. These municipalities require the owners of the buildings to correct the situation before issuing the permits. Between 2012 and 2013, SEC connected power to 420,000 new subscribers nationwide. During the first half of 2013, we connected more than 23,000 subscribers in Jeddah alone,” he said.
SEC urges patience over delayed connections
