The conditions in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area is declining as a consequence of the large presence of bachelors, thefts is rampant, and the infrastructure of roads and sanitation is deteriorating among other issues. Many of these problems cropped up after a large number of expatriates moved into the area from nearby areas such as Abbasiya and Al-Hassawi, Alanba daily reported.
The daily met with a number of citizens living in the area to hear their opinions and convey their complaints and demands to the competent authorities on the most important challenges in Jleeb.
Many pointed that the growing lack of security and stability due to the large displacement of expatriates to the area, and urged the authorities to withdraw government homes from those who rent or use them as shops or stores and give it to deserving citizens.
The residents said that the area includes only 550 houses but its streets are crowded with vehicles near garages, confirming that there are strangers in the area, calling on the competent authorities to move quickly to save the situation before it is too late.
Saad Al-Mutairi said that the area has about 550 houses, and it suffers from a large number of bachelors, and currently some people rent their homes to bachelors or at least four expat families in one house. He added that this causes citizens to feel like strangers in their area, and may cause the residents to abandon the area in the future, if the situation continues like this, the number of citizens will be less than 100 families replaced by thousands of expatriates.
“We do not underestimate the importance of expatriates, but there is a difference in customs, traditions and even religions, and it is not possible to feel safe and secure in an area where bachelors are now present in every street. The government has to move quickly to remedy the situation before it is too late,” he added.
In the same context, Farhan Al-Mutairi said, “The solution to the problems of the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area is with the responsible authorities, whose duty is to move the inspection teams to find the citizens who have given their homes for rent, and remove ownership of those homes directly as a lesson to others. In addition, inspect all the shops and garages adjacent to the area, most of which are not authorized. Finally, hold accountable the owner and the tenant, and if the shop is licensed then it is licensed as a commercial activity and not housing for workers, as is the case now.”
Reiterating the sentiment, Ahmed Ashkanani said: “We suffer in the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area from a big problem that some citizens rent out their homes to expats of different nationalities, and this is against the law. The houses must be withdrawn from them and given to the needy beneficiaries who suffer from high rents and are awaiting in the housing queue.”
Ashkanani pointed out that drivers do not observe traffic laws or respect the privacy of the area’s residents, including children and the elderly, which prompted us to go to the Ministry of Public Works to request an increase in the bumps on the roads in order to preserve the lives of young and old. They assured us the need to obtain the approval of the Ministry of the Interior. We were also directed to the concerned administration and presented our requests, and we were not given an answer. We ask the concerned ministries to make pitfalls in the internal roads to curb the recklessness of drivers who play with people’s lives.
He emphasized that, through personal effort, he planted a large number of fragrant plants to decorate the area, out of his belief in the societal role of individuals in advancing the aesthetic level of the area.
Absence of Security
In turn, Walid Al-Hubail confirmed to the local daily that the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area suffers from insecurity, as thefts are frequent, pointing out that his house has been robbed three times and every time the thieves open gas pipelines to leave the house vulnerable to fire until they are able to escape. I have submitted official reports in this regard, and they have taken forensic evidence by inspecting the house and taking fingerprints, all of this to no avail, and those who carried out the thefts have not been found until today.
Al-Hubail stated that the area suffers from a lack of health services at all, with the 550 Kuwaiti families, unable to receive healthcare at the old Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh clinic, due to the large crowd of expats, indicating that the area has become an open theater for expatriate workers, and you find them running and having fun in the inner streets without taking into account the sanctity of the people.
He continued: We completely depend on the branches of the association for our purchases and our daily needs, and we appeal to officials to pay attention to the area and its people, who are now suffering from poor services, as it is surrounded by bachelors’ housing and garages and shops adjacent to the area, with the main issue being expatriates renting houses in the area and using them as stores, shops or a housing collective.