By MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS

Published: Jul 30, 2010 23:49 Updated: Jul 30, 2010 23:49

JEDDAH: An official of the Transport Ministry said 83 percent of the appraisal of the properties to be acquired for the Haramain high-speed rail project has been completed.

“Field work for the evaluation of 1,247 properties for acquisition representing 83 percent of the properties between Makkah and Rabigh has been completed,” Director of the Road Administration in the Ministry of Transport Muhammad Dahlawi told Arab News.

“Field assessment of the remaining 55 properties in Bahra, 26 properties in places between Makkah and Bahra and 120 farmlands in Dhahban, Thuwal and Rabigh in addition to 10 percent of properties for the construction of the Makkah railway station in Rusaifah are under way,” said Dahlawi, who is also a member of the two committees for the evaluation of properties acquired for the railway project.

The official urged the property owners in Makkah and Jeddah, whose properties have been notified for acquisition, to submit deeds and other property documents to the committees so that their compensation could be paid without delay.

The official also called on property owners, who did not hold title deeds of their properties, to contact the committee to discuss modalities for their compensation. He did not disclose the total value of the properties. He said lack of property documents did not pose a major obstacle in the assessment work.

“Many property owners in the districts of Al-Harazat and Al-Rohaily in Jeddah were found lacking property documents,” he said.

He added that 70 percent of the properties to be acquired in Rabigh and 50 percent of the properties to be acquired for the station building in Rusaifah in Makkah were also without documents.

The main railway station in Jeddah will be overlooking the Haramain Expressway close to Al-Sulaimaniah district but separated by the King Abdullah Road in the north. More than 900 properties, including several car showrooms in five large plots and empty land, are found in the area. The evaluation of the properties there would be completed shortly, he said. He added that 628 properties in the site for the Makkah railway station were evaluated.

He said the pricing of properties was based on certain norms.

“The nature of the ownership document and the facilities in a property are also considered for compensation,” he said. “Each property has its own particular feature. The committee determines the price of each piece on the basis of certain principles.” ¬