JEDDAH, 25 March 2003 — The Jeddah municipality has announced it will exercise tighter control over construction permits. The move was prompted by the growing problem of the rising water table and the fact that many new construction projects require their foundations pumped dry before work can begin.
At a press conference here recently, municipal officials announced that the problem had got noticeably worse over the past few years as population pressure, waste disposal and seawater encroachment into the aquifer that lies under the city increased.
Work will begin in the most affected areas such as Al-Naeem, Al-Bawadi and Al-Salama districts, once construction has been completed in Al-Naeem district around the Old Airport area.
Other areas are also seriously affected.
A source at King Abdul Aziz International Airport told Arab News that pumps removing water ingress from the basement of one of the terminals had been running 24 hours a day recently. Permanent standing water in slight depressions between taxiways and outside the South Terminal provide visible evidence of the high water table at the airport.
Last year in Balad, high water levels weakened the foundations of some old houses, which subsequently collapsed.
A geologist at the Saudi Geological Society who presented a survey of the building coverage of Jeddah at a water conference in 2003 said that approximately 70 percent of Jeddah was seriously affected by the high water table, making construction difficult to hazardous.
According to the municipality press release, SR100 million has been approved for the de-watering projects.
