The Directorate of Education in Makkah has taken steps to overcome the shortage of schools. Ten schools were demolished to make way for development projects, which led to children crowding neighboring schools in the past two years. To counter crowding, the directorate shifted classes in these neighborhoods to evenings.

The municipality has now started expropriating 70 properties in a number of neighborhoods in Makkah for demolish to make way for development projects.

Talat Al-Harbi, assistant director general of education in Makkah, described this as a positive step because it contributes to solving the problem of his directorate. He said construction of the schools will start as soon as the municipality hands over these locations, especially since the allocated budgets are ready.

"A special committee to coordinate this matter has been established. I don’t have accurate information about the locations of these schools, but this step will solve the problems of overcrowding in schools," he said.

The Makkah Municipality has asked the owners of these properties to visit the property administration with three photocopies of the property deed, and a photocopy of their ID to enable the municipality to complete technical procedures related to expropriation, and regulatory and legislative procedures to deliver compensations for 10 neighborhoods.

The areas in question are Al-Haj Street neighborhood, Al-Otaibiay neighborhood next to Jabal Al-Sayedah, Umra scheme No. 13 next to the 4th Circular Road next to Al-Faiha, neighborhoods near Jeddah-Makkah Road next to Al-Sabban Mosque, neighborhoods between Ibrahim Al-Khalil and Al-Mansour Street and the area between Sudqi Road and Mahbas Al-Jin Road.

The municipality stressed the fact that all property owners in these locations should speed up procedure to start delivering their deeds and receive their compensations.

The municipality said that the aim of removing these properties is to launch development programs that serve the holy city, including building schools.

According to a report, removing some schools led to a change in the education plan in Makkah with the authorities spreading out students of affected schools to other schools and introducing two shifts in some to serve 2,500 pupils.