Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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charities, waqf. For instance, in Riyadh, early in this century, there were 42 water
fountains and washing facilities (masagi), all provided through the institution of waqf,I 13
However, towns in poor regions lacked infrastructure. In such regions, settlements were
little more than dormitory communes of mere self-supporting residences and pedestrian
precincts: settled communities whose members were glued by a mutual concern for
survival. Inhabitants collectively participated in the maintenance of their habitat and
contributed to decision making affecting their everyday lives. 14
Islamic teachings offered moral incentives which encouraged a sense of
responsibility among the faithful. For example, the moving of objects that could
potentially harm passers by was highly encouraged and directly related to God's pleasure.
It was documented that Prophet Mohammed said, "A man was walking in a street who
found a branch of thorns and removed it, then Allah thanked him and forgave his
misdeeds." 15 Maintenance of streets and elimination of refuse was performed by
residents' who were bound by mutual commitment, the equivalent of modern time's
imposed penalties by the municipalities against those who committed infractions. 16 Solid
waste was channeled into underground trenches while washing water refuse was routed
into dug holes and left to vanish in the hot weather. 17
H. MODERNIZATION ECLIPSES SOCIETY'S TRADITIONAL URBAN FORMS AND SPURS
THE METROPOLIS
The traditional form of habitation characterized Arabia's landscape for centuries
until the dramatic developments of this century when gradually the above cultural
attributes were dwarfed under the emerging nation-state and its far-reaching
modernization efforts. The modernization programs of the Saudi government first
focused on the development of the bureaucracy and national security capabilities. By the
1950s, direct urban development became an integral part of the state's intensive
modernization. Western planning consultants employed urban models implicitly based
on preconceived notions of urban land use systems found in free market economies. As
Dykman et al noted,