Jeddah to level mountains to create residential areas

Jeddah Municipality is taking steps to implement a plan to level nearby mountains in order to create more housing plots for the city’s burgeoning population.
According to an official, the plots will become a part of the government’s land grants.
The municipality also has plans to extend the city’s mass transit project to areas that will be developed in the future, the source added.
“The leveling project, which falls within the strategic plan for development of the coastal governorate, will cover areas currently outside the urban confines of the governorate,” he said.
“The plots will be allocated to citizens and, in the case of any encroachments, illegal settlers will be evicted and the structures they built will be razed,” the source added.
Authorities are planning to use helicopters to detect property encroachers in the mountainous terrain.
Hills and small mountains can be spotted in the eastern and northern parts of Jeddah. Moon Mountain, which is a 45-minute drive from the city center, is a known destination for residents with a passion for outdoor sports.