JEDDAH: Citizens in Yanbu have asked the Madinah municipality to develop new strategies to expand the province. They claim there is a scarcity of land available for construction. They also asked the municipality to change zoning laws and allow multistory buildings to be constructed and to allow three-story blocks to be built in new plots and old districts.
A number of citizens told Arab News that the municipality had prevented them from constructing buildings higher than two stories in the districts, although they were allowed an annex. Buildings no higher than four stories were allowed along the main streets.
Abdullah Al-Alwani, a budding property developer, said he had invested in a house downtown and wanted to develop it, but was surprised when the municipality stopped him.
"My next door neighbors have six to seven story buildings but the municipality would not allow me to do the same," he said.
Talal Al-Arwi said he owned a piece of land along one of the main streets in Yanbu and wanted to construct a six-story apartment building to rent out, but was only allowed to build as high as four stories.
Local residents Suwailim Al-Hibaishi and Massad Al-Johani urged the Madinah municipality to adopt a new strategy that would allow for the construction of buildings as high as existing ones, which was the case before the tighter regulations were introduced.
Chairman of the Yanbu municipality Abdul Aali ibn Ali Al-Shaikh said a regional study was under way to determine the maximum height of buildings in the city and would be implemented as soon as it was approved by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
By Muhammad Al-Sulami
© Arab News 2010
