Some 60 families have moved into the charity houses in Rahat that were funded by the Women's Committee for Human and Society Service.
Princess Sarah Al-Angari, wife of the late Makkah Emir Prince Abdulmajeed and the chairwoman of the committee, said the SR16m project when completed will cover 20,000 square meters of land.
"A survey of the Makkah region conducted by the committee and the ministry of social affairs show that 14,000 houses need to be built. There are still a lot of people who live in poverty. They need care and support," she said.The 60 families who were given houses used to live in the desert or tents.
The houses are located inside a complex that also has schools and medical centers. Rahat is located 180 kilometers north of Jeddah.
Lahik Al-Otaibi, the director of the Charity Committee in Rahat, said many of the people who benefit from the project have lived in harsh conditions.
"Most of the people here are sheep herders who live in tents or old houses and buildings on the brink of collapse," he said.
Some of the beneficiaries are spinsters and orphans, too, he added.
Princess Sarah said the society commissioned a consulting team to look into the most needy places. She said their volunteer work to give houses to those that need it the most had only just begun.
"We need the cooperation of the government and private sector," the Princess said.
Souad Taher, who heads the committee for distributing houses, said they have spent SR36 million on 270 residential units in two locations. One of those, at Nokhal Village in Al-Qunfudah, officially opened this week.
Mohammed Al-Otaibi, a 15-year-old orphan who was granted a house in Rahat, described their situation as "complicated."
"We used to live in a tent that we had to move whenever we sought pasture for sheep," he said. "That nomadic lifestyle deprived me of completing my education."
Chairman of the Society Lahiq Al-Otaibi said widows, people with special needs and orphans - as well as those who live in tents or are scattered in the desert -are given top priority.
Some 10 businesswomen who also supported the project did so pro bono.
Ghada Ghazwai, one of the volunteers, said the society will exert all efforts to help the poor and alleviate poverty throughout the Kingdom.
For Al-Jawharah Al-Saleh, another volunteer, no motivation is greater than "seeing the smile on people's faces."
"Princess Sarah insisted on not only giving these people houses, but also in furnishing these residences," she added.
The Women's Committee has spent at least SR300 million total on housing projects, records show.
By Adel Al-Malki
© The Saudi Gazette 2007
