Comments on: Still Assessing Toll of Jeddah Floods http://xrdarabia.org/2010/01/07/still-assessing-toll-of-jeddah-floods/ Informed comment and commentary about Saudi Arabia, reform, and its relations with the US Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:58:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sandy http://xrdarabia.org/2010/01/07/still-assessing-toll-of-jeddah-floods/comment-page-1/#comment-26882 Sandy Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:02:20 +0000 http://xrdarabia.org/?p=9486#comment-26882 They are now allowed to go home? Many have been "living in affected areas" the whole time. This disaster has created somewhat of a social revolution. Primarily because of cell phone cameras etc. and massive postings on Youtube and Facebook (apparently in record numbers) the press began to properly cover what everyone else already knew. Youth from Jeddah were joined from some other from around the kingdom and began relief efforts- working together BOTH genders they were among the first into many of the affected areas. This disaster generated an unprecedented grass-roots response, and has made it hard for the facts to stay hidden- though I think officially it is minimized. I don't for one minute believe that death toll- based on pictures and footage and reports I read I can't imagine how it is so low. But some areas afflicted were primarily undocumented people who probably did not report their dead or their missing. I hope it leads to a real solution for drainage and sewage rather than window dressing this time. But people are really watching to see what is done. Personally I have not been pleased at the seemingly near complete lack of coverage in the international press. They are now allowed to go home? Many have been “living in affected areas” the whole time.

This disaster has created somewhat of a social revolution. Primarily because of cell phone cameras etc. and massive postings on Youtube and Facebook (apparently in record numbers) the press began to properly cover what everyone else already knew. Youth from Jeddah were joined from some other from around the kingdom and began relief efforts- working together BOTH genders they were among the first into many of the affected areas.

This disaster generated an unprecedented grass-roots response, and has made it hard for the facts to stay hidden- though I think officially it is minimized. I don’t for one minute believe that death toll- based on pictures and footage and reports I read I can’t imagine how it is so low. But some areas afflicted were primarily undocumented people who probably did not report their dead or their missing.

I hope it leads to a real solution for drainage and sewage rather than window dressing this time. But people are really watching to see what is done. Personally I have not been pleased at the seemingly near complete lack of coverage in the international press.

]]> By: anonymous http://xrdarabia.org/2010/01/07/still-assessing-toll-of-jeddah-floods/comment-page-1/#comment-26878 anonymous Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:35:34 +0000 http://xrdarabia.org/?p=9486#comment-26878 Ali al-Ahmed says what Shoura members wouldn't dare to say: http://www.saudiinfocus.com/en/forum/showthread.php?t=20970 "This has brought to light yet another fact of life in Saudi Arabia: most citizens are unable to buy a home. The percentage of adult Saudis who do not own homes is around 80% – in sharp contrast to other Gulf countries such as Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, where home ownership rates exceed 80%, thanks to government programmes. The cause of the low home ownership is the high price of land. This may seem surprising in such a huge country with a relatively small population, but it results from land grabs by members of the ruling family. Many Saudi citizens woke up one day to find that the land they had either inherited or paid good money for has been taken over by a member of the Al Saud. The land deed that the citizen holds becomes worthless and no court will take up the issue. If you complain too much, you will end up in prison. We Saudis have witnessed massive land seizures across that bare country where fences are erected by princes to enclose hundreds of square kilometres. Jeddah is infamous for land grabs by members of the ruling family – land that is then sold to citizens looking to build a home, without the required planning and infrastructure such as sewage, electricity, water and phone." Ali al-Ahmed says what Shoura members wouldn’t dare to say:

http://www.saudiinfocus.com/en/forum/showthread.php?t=20970

“This has brought to light yet another fact of life in Saudi Arabia: most citizens are unable to buy a home. The percentage of adult Saudis who do not own homes is around 80% – in sharp contrast to other Gulf countries such as Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, where home ownership rates exceed 80%, thanks to government programmes.

The cause of the low home ownership is the high price of land. This may seem surprising in such a huge country with a relatively small population, but it results from land grabs by members of the ruling family. Many Saudi citizens woke up one day to find that the land they had either inherited or paid good money for has been taken over by a member of the Al Saud. The land deed that the citizen holds becomes worthless and no court will take up the issue. If you complain too much, you will end up in prison.

We Saudis have witnessed massive land seizures across that bare country where fences are erected by princes to enclose hundreds of square kilometres. Jeddah is infamous for land grabs by members of the ruling family – land that is then sold to citizens looking to build a home, without the required planning and infrastructure such as sewage, electricity, water and phone.”

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