Saudi Arabia prides itself on its generosity and care for the elderly. This is something that is visibly noticed as well. Yet at the same time there is a phenonemon rising in the Kingdom and especially so in Makkah…one of the holiest places in Islam. Due to the renovations and construction going on to enlarge and enhance the Grand Mosque (Haram) many apartment buildings and hotels have been torn down. As a result, thousands of individuals and families have been displaced requiring to find a new place to call home. Not surprisingly housing is at a premium and supply cannot meet demand. So what is happening? Many apartment buildings that have not been earmarked for destruction are being sold at top dollar by their owners. The new owners in turn are converting what had been unfurnished apartments into furnished equipped apartments which in turn are rented to umrah and hajj pilgrims to Makkah at premium rates. But the old time residents of these apartments, many whom had lived in the apartments for 20 years or more are told with little notice (less than 90 days) that they must vacate and find another place to live. These residents are comprised of families to include many who are widowed with or without children. Now they find themselves scrambling to find another place that is within their budget and have suitable schools for school age children.
What is this saying about Makkah? To me it is a contradiction in terms. The construction is taking place so more pilgrims can come to Makkah. But as a result, the construction is also causing many old time Makkah residents to be displaced with few affordable options. 
Is this the start of the commercialization of Makkah where greed is replacing core values and ethics?
Filed under: Charity, culture, Economy, religion, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, travel, Uncategorized |
American Bedu 
How disappointing to hear of this! I cannot help but remember the days I used to go to Makkah, in the 80’s and 90’s, when high-rise hotels stood next to dozens of modest apartment buildings; small hotels blended in between the two.
During the off-seasons, you could walk through Makkah and pretend you lived there, because residents mixed with pilgrims, and you hardly saw the difference. The resulting atmosphere enhanced the spiritual experience of the visit.
Sounds like Makkah is morphing into a tourist destination. My memories are now all the more precious. May Allah support the unfortunate residents who are falling victim to the transformation.
As for core values, well, one could make a case for bringing more pilgrims to Makkah, but that argument is superficial, considering that overcrowding continues to threaten the Hajj experience and challenge the abilities of the government to provide for the influx.
I visited Makkah in 1999 and 2000 and I agree with Marahm on the first 2 paragraphs. Small hotels blended in with modest apartments and one could pretend to be a resident of Makkah.
Maybe because of the pressures of accommodating an ever growing number of pilgrims, huge swaths of apartments and hotels are demolished to make way for the Grand Mosque’s expansion.
The old, rustic Makkah I remembered where there was an air of ‘villageness’ and warmth will no longer be there when I visit again in the future.
That’s capitalism for ya. Ah, well, here in America we’d fix all that with some taxpayer-financed slums on the other end of town. Too bad for you if you’re lower middle-class! :]
Marahm, Firdaus Thanks for your comments and sharing earlier views of Makkah. I’m happy that I also can say I saw Makkah before the start of the construction as when I was there last the area around the Haram is now unrecognizable from the Haram area I first saw.
Mrs C – sad fact…but you raise a good point…why couldn’t the government have been able to do something to ensure that long time residents do have alternative housing options.
Well…Ive never known an Arab countries govt to look too far into the future when making geographical changes to the landscape…hence the unsatisfactory road and sewage systems…not to mention parking and electricity demands that far outstrip the rising population. It seems they look only as far forward as to the next bank deposit to be made…and not for whats really best for the country in the long run.
La howla walla quwata illah billah!!!! What a shame. With as much wealth that country has been blessed with they should not only expand the haram, but more importantly, provide new housing for the families/people that are being displaced. I think history has dictated all too well what happens to nations afflicted with greed. This is so sad and there’s no excuse for it. The opression isn’t just there but also in different areas of the EP. I just dont understand it at all.
Coolred – Strategic planning does not seem to be something applied here often especially when concerning infrastructure projects!
Umzacharia – I guess one should also ask how necessary is it to expand the Haram if it is resulting in so many displaced people?
There is something of a housing crisis in Makkah these days, and it’s not just the housing near the Holy Mosque. Everywhere in Makkah these days you will find the sign “For Rent During Hajj and Ramadan”. And it’s not just houses near the holy places, it’s apartment buildings all over the city. Many people are having a very hard time finding a place to live, especially newly weds. Many have been forced to live in “Hajj Apartments”; low rent apartments that they have to vacate during the hajj season.
When I started looking for apartments a year ago for me and my bride I was hoping to live in Makkah (even though I work in Jeddah), since we both had family there. Dismayed by the prices I finally made the decision to live in Jeddah.
Asalam Alaykum, I always find it sad that KSA spends so much money to make Mecca better for the pilgrims but yet their is so much poverty in the city, astagfurAllah. With all that money it seems like instead of trying to spend money to build high rises and show off they people could have some.
Saudi Jawa – This is really a sad phenomenom…regular people are being displaced to make room for the influx of pilgrims (and money?)…
Noor – thanks for your comment. I agree – the regular people need to be taken care of. I wonder since the Hajj influx is always managed, is it really necessary to increase the size of the Haram? Or alternatively couldn’t public transport be built such as a light rail so pilgrims can stay in areas on the border of Makkah without having had to displace residents?
I don’t understand that people can be turned out of their appartments just like that? I can understand the enlargement of the Haram, but I would think it normal that the people who have to leave get offered comparable housing, or new housing being built for them so they can move once their new houses are finished. That is law in the Netherlands, and the only decent way you can do such re-developement.
And yes, for such an important place, and you know how great many people come, I would imagine creating suitable infrastructure, and public transport, and a city-plan? This way seems very inadequate, even to me, and I know nothng of city planning.
Well, that isn’t nesseccary, it’s just plain logic isn’t it?
Exactly…but like many things in the kingdom, when does logic factor into a decision, eh?
American dedu – Mrs C – sad fact…but you raise a good point…why couldn’t the government have been able to do something to ensure that long time residents do have alternative housing options.
Well the problem is that its that the priority here is to the royal family. I do think that the royal family are expanding the haram because they want to be good muslims. On the other hand, I also think that helping makkah occupents, wont give them the “reputation” and mention in history that they want. So if it came down to it, the personal priorities of the royal family comes first, before the citizen.
I also think that makkah is a spacial place. people from all over the world sneak into makkah to live there, and hopefully die there. also the geographic nature of makkah makes it difficult. I heard of a couple of studies where the options of just blowing up these mountains came up, and the decision was that it was hazardous to the place to do so. so you are stuck with bad geography, and condensed population. if you expand horizontally, you will end up out of the holy lands, which defeats the purpose of being in makkah.
My mom is from makkah, so i kinda feel the pain of the people who were relocated. maybe the people who relocated should feel good about it… they are creating more space for people who have never been to makkah, and might never be in makkah again….
that still doesn’t mean its there obligation to.
ah the duality of wo/man
Abdullah – thanks for your comment. Yes; after i wrote my posting I continued to dwell on the issue and wondered…given that hajj pilgrims also go to Arafat and Menna which is ouside of the “main” Haram area, then why couldn’t altnerative accomodations for pilgrims PLUS transport be built in these areas which are less congested and old time Makkah residents are not displaced?
While we can understand that King Abdullah would want to be credited with the “King Abdullah Haram Expansion” I again want to ask, how necessary is the expansion…and on a side note, naturally his palace and surrounding area which overlooks the Haram was not affected by the expansion.
But when I think of the displaced people, I think of my own Mother in law who right now has not been touched …. but as a widower, she is now in an apartment by her choice. In her neighborhood three other apartment buildings were sold resulting in the long term residents to find alternative housing and now these buildings have big signs”Furnished Apts for rent for Pilgrims and Hajjis.” And all because of greed….
Now what kind of message does that say about Makkah, one of the holiest sites…and the Kingdom of Humanity?
If you look at the history of Mecca I think you will find that greed and control of the wealth figure very prominantly.
Dear Sisters and brothers in Islam
I had the experience to live in Jeddah for 3 months in HAJJ period .
i went to Maccah for Umraa , was revolted how come a holy pla
Dear all in Islam ,
I had the opportunity to live in Jeddah for 3months,visited Ryadh, Medina before hajj period .
i went for umraa and the 1 st image made me unhappy in a such holy place . hundreds of children beggars , with cut hands or legs, starving , living in streets i couldn’t believe it . kSA gvt should assist those unfortunate families to live in somewhere or expatriate them with giving them zakat as a refund .
the 2nd point that made me sick is the Luxurious Ryadh airport , huge , clean ……. compared to the Medina airport wallahi bakit and said into myself does our adored prophet deserve this , millions of pilgrims land in Medinah ( All over the world ) I M arab muslim , what would think a French friend newly converted to Islam if he lands in holy places really a shame it doesn’t work out the good image of Islam
Best regards
Lynn, Narita, Om Aziz — thank you all for your comments.
Yes; Makkah can be quite an eye opener with what one routinely sees. And I agree…the Medinah airport is so tiny and antiquated as compared to Riyadh or Jeddah.
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American Bedu, a great post as usual, as a native of Jeddah, this phenomena is not strange for Makkah people, we used to see many people giving up their own houses and apartments during holy seasons to guests for a handsome sum of money, some of the Makkah people actually took this as a source of living, you can also see Makka youth offering transportation and rides to pilgrims and visitors at times when no personal cars are allowed in the premises of Haram area, needless to say, many as well make this as living, My concern is not the expansion work which would compensate makkah people very well, I agree with om aziz on the flimsy state of beggars around the area which would disrupt the whole spiritual experience, this is the actual sign of greed, I have talked to some of those little girls, and the way they operate is actually shocking, they avoid the police, but if an officer chooses to capture them they would simply ask their mom to give him what he wants to be released back the next day or so, officers as well make this as a living, since they take about a 1000-3000SR from each child guardian to be released, that’s why this phenomena can’t disappear, and more beggars, children and amputee will join the area to draw more profit for their guardians, families back home and of course those police officers on lousy salaries and big families, talk about the actual greed…
Hala – thank you for your comment. I was not aware of the “collusion” between the beggars and the police. Now that is indeed pitiful. Where is there since of honor and dignity, especially on the part of the police? And I know…beggars who beg at Makkah believe people will be more charitable towards them because they are at one of the most holiest places.
I know one can not stop progress and do not blame residents who choose to rent out their homes or provide transport to pilgrims. I do dislike though how many long term residents are being unceremoniously displaced from their homes so landlords can earn more money. There just aren’t enough choices and places for the residents, many widowers and many with families, to go to within Makkah.
I just wrote an essay about the corporatization of Makkah–you can read it on my blog.
What a horrible, but nonetheless expected, state of affairs.
Thanks Marryam.
American Bedu. Who told you the government doesn’t guarantee an alternative place for those who were asked to leave? They get two options, either to go and find a similar apartments with reasonable price, or they get paid cash the amount of the current value of their apartments. I hope you seek for truth in more sources, trustful ones.
Thank you
@Hussain,
Sorry for the late response; I’ve been away from the computer. I am referring to individuals who had been tenants of places which had either been torn down or sold. The tenants were renting rather than having owned their apartment. These specific individuals have suffered and included members of my own extended Saudi family.
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