A Makkah deliveryman who lives in a small, rundown house near the Grand Mosque may become a millionaire after the committee supervising the expansion of the mosque’s premises estimated his 120-square-meter house to be worth a whopping SR8 million.

Mustafa Al-Balushi, a deliveryman at a government institution, struggled to make ends meet and pay his electricity bills. He sometimes even resorted to borrowing money from friends and relatives. Mustafa had inherited the small house in which he lived.

“My father bought the dilapidated premises over 100 years ago. The committee supervising the expansion told me the house is worth SR65,000 per sqm,” he said.

“I plan to purchase a bigger house and a car. Everything changes in the blink of an eye through the power of the Almighty.” Nonetheless, Mustafa expressed his sadness at his forced relocation.

“I am used to hearing the call to prayer every day, not to mention the magical atmosphere we enjoy during Ramadan and our interaction with pilgrims and visitors. All the money in the world cannot compensate us for this,” he said.

Abbas Al-Tukhi, the owner of a real estate institution, said there are more than 12,000 families living in similar conditions who are entitled to compensation.

“Life as they know it will change overnight,” he said.

He said, “Many years ago, Makkah’s rich residents used to live in these neighborhoods, but sold their dilapidated houses and left the city. Only residents of limited means were left; fate seems to have landed on their side.”

Al-Tukhi said estimations vary according to proximity to the Grand Mosque. Streets situated right next to the mosque, for instance, are worth SR90,000 per square meter.

“Such exorbitant compensation sums will cause a huge boom in the local real estate market.

The costs of land, houses and rents are expected to rise by more than 30 percent following the dispensing of compensation,” he said.