The contracting company had filed the case to stop the ministry from demolishing the building. The court, however, ruled ownership should be given to the ministry to build the plant, which it said was in the public’s interest. “Any delay in demolishing the building might be detrimental to the city of Jeddah,” it said.
According to court sources, the contracting company said demolishing the building would affect other cases it has filed against the Ministry of Water and Electricity regarding the value of the building.
The court issued its ruling after a ministry representative said the ministry required the building to build a sewage treatment plant, which he said Jeddah is in dire need of.
“Any delay in the project’s implementation would jeopardize the city’s basic infrastructure and cost the government a lot,” he said.
The court also heard how the building was valued at SR29 million, a figure that the company turned down. The company has instead asked for SR80 million in view of the land and new facilities that are unused.
A source said the ministry representative assured the company that its money was safe. “Procedures to compensate the company should not be tied to evacuating the building because that might take a long time while demolishing the building is urgent in order to build the sewage treatment plant,” he added.
