Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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21 For example, the estate al Al-U'daibyyah is owned by tens of households whose members descend from
the same grand parents and whose descendants live all over the country. This makes if difficult to sell
the estate without the collective agreement by the members or their legal representatives. Because
those affected by its sale are numerous, the monetary return per member included in the will is
minuscule, hence no reward or incentive warrant its sale.
22 See for example Royal Decree no. 7,800 dated 10/7/1380H (c.1960), which stipulates a royal
permission for granting land; no. 11003 dated 8/5/86H (c. 1968), no. 437 dated 1/6/1398H (c. 1978),
and no. 59 dated 19/4/1401 (c. 1981) concerning criteria for lower income groups (LIG) to qualify for
free land. Some of the conditions attached to an LIG's grant that he or she is 18 years or older, must
not own land or obtain a REDF loan, among others. However, citizens can also request a royal grant
by applying for land without the necessary LIG status. The King is entitled to grant land to individuals
under certain rules. In this case, a citizen may be granted land in any locality in the nation, depending
on the availability of land that is undergoing distribution by a government agency, i.e. the
municipality.
23 The phenomenon of rapid conversion of large peripheral tracts into land subdivisions has characterized
contemporary development of virtually all Saudi settlements. For example, in Hafr Al-Batin, which
lies in the northeast of the country, land speculation has, by 1979, extended to an area which can
accommodate the needs of a population of 411,000, or 26 times more than its current population. This
population figure would take 65 years to be realized (assuming a 5% annual population growth). A. H.
Azzahrani, "Dirasat fee Hajm al-Moroor wa Attanabou'at Al Morooryyah" (Studies in Traffic Size and
Traffic Projections.), Unpublished paper presented to the Symposium on Planning and Design.(Riyadh:
King Saud University, March 25-26,1986), 3. In the case of Madinah, the city which houses the
prophet's mosque, hence revered by Muslims worldwide, developed plots comprise 30% of all the
subdivided plots, and "are scattered in fragmented subdivisions." Walead Abdulaal (1990): 728.
24 According to the LDP program, adults, 18 years or older, are eligible for free land. At this early age,
many conform to the "limited income" condition in the LDP program and few are likely to build a
house in the near future. See for example, Council of Ministers' Order No. 437 dated 1/6/1398H, No.
59 dated 19/4/1401H, and MOMRA's Circular No. S'ad/9751 dated 29/8/1407H.
25
MOMRA (1989), 24.
26 For discussion of land tenure in Saudi Arabia see the elaboration in the special section on this subject
in chapter five on Riyadh.
27 In its efforts to control peripheral development, the government introduced the Urban Domain. The
UD includes government policies concerning right of services to peripheral land. The UD concept
started as early as 1977 (see Council of Ministers' Decision no. 1170 dated 25/8/1397H and MOMRA's
Circulars no. 641 dated 18/1/1398 H.(Kha), no 5942 dated 18/9/1398,1383 dated 24/3/1399H, no.
2492 dated 11/6/1399H (Waw), no. 1383 dated 24/3/1399H., no. 84 dated 24/7/1405H. and Council of
Ministers Decisions no. 7/1397 dated 1/1/1405H., no. 69 dated 9/8/1405H., and finally Council of
Ministers' Decision no. 13 dated 9/1/1406H. which halted the issue of land subdivisions for a period of
two years to give government agencies and municipalities time to ponder methods to control peripheral
growth.