Sidewalk encroachments in Jeddah: Urban hazards and deterrent penalties

Jeddah, like other major cities striving to achieve the goals of the Quality of Life Program, faces renewed urban challenges, most notably the growing phenomenon of encroachment on public facilities, particularly sidewalks and streets. Recent field visits have revealed the conversion of parts of public space into private parking areas and entrances to residential and commercial properties without proper permits, posing a direct threat to the urban gains achieved by the Kingdom in recent years as part of Vision 2030.

Urban and historical context: Humanizing cities in the face of randomness

These warnings come at a time when Saudi Arabia is undergoing a massive development drive focused on "humanizing cities," a concept that aims to make cities more livable by promoting a culture of walking and reducing overall reliance on vehicles. Historically, many cities have suffered from the dominance of cars over pedestrians, but the Jeddah Municipality and other relevant authorities are pursuing modern strategies to rectify this. The encroachment on sidewalks is a counterproductive phenomenon that hinders these efforts, pushing the city back into a state of disorganization and erasing the necessary boundaries between private and public property.

Experts confirmed to Al-Youm that these practices have gone beyond being individual violations to become a behavior that affects the visual identity of the city and hinders the movement of people with disabilities and pedestrians, which requires a firm stance.

Forms of assault and their impact on safety

The forms of encroachment vary, ranging from completely obliterating sidewalks or lowering their level to pave them with asphalt and connect them to private parking areas, to building on the entire plot of land without regard for legal setbacks. These encroachments lead to dangerous interference between vehicular and pedestrian traffic, especially in front of shopping centers, increasing accident rates and traffic congestion on vital streets.

Ryan Sahahiri

In this regard, Dr. Rayan Sahahiri, Professor of Geomatics at King Abdulaziz University, explained that the issue touches the very core of "quality of life." He pointed out that streets and sidewalks are essential elements of the daily human experience, and that encroaching upon them undermines the concept of a "walkable city," thus weakening Jeddah's appeal as a tourist and investment destination. Sahahiri linked the solution to the necessity of balancing smart design solutions with strict enforcement, emphasizing that protecting public spaces is an investment in the city's urban future.

Legal situation: Fines up to 50,000 riyals

Legally, these practices are not considered minor violations, but rather a clear encroachment on public property. Legal advisor Anwar Al-Qurashi emphasized that Saudi regulations are clear on this matter, stating that streets and sidewalks are considered public property and their use cannot be altered without a permit.

Anwar Al-Qurashi

Al-Qurashi revealed deterrent penalties approved by the system, including fines of up to 50,000 riyals for anyone who encroaches on public property or usurps any part of the road or its right-of-way. He emphasized that rectification is not achieved by issuing a subsequent permit, but rather by immediately removing the encroachment at the violator's expense and restoring the situation to its original state, in order to uphold the rule of law.

An urban necessity, not a cosmetic option

For his part, real estate development consultant, Engineer Abdul Nasser Al-Abdulatif, warned that leniency towards these violations creates a culture of non-compliance that will be difficult to remedy in the future. He emphasized that protecting sidewalks is not a cosmetic luxury, but a necessity to ensure spatial justice and traffic safety.

Abdul Nasser Al-Abdul Latif

Al-Abdulatif called for intensifying early monitoring during the construction phases to prevent violations from occurring in the first place, noting that respecting the regulatory setbacks and parking spaces within the property boundaries is the only way to maintain an organized and safe urban landscape for everyone in the city of Jeddah.