No ‘Invasion’ of Government Land

Sources said the previous monitoring campaigns resulted in recording more than 10,000 violations in various governorates, indicating that a large number of violators took the initiative to remove the encroachments within the grace period. They confirmed that the campaign will continue according to a schedule that covers all violating sites, emphasizing that there will be no leniency in enforcing the law, reclaiming state properties, and preserving public facilities and the civilized appearance of the country.

They added that the encroachments included the construction of walls, rooms, facilities and extensions outside the boundaries of the plots, illegal awnings, canopies, garages and parking spaces, temporary structures and diwaniyas (traditional meeting places) on state properties, and the exploitation of public spaces like sidewalks, walkways, squares and setbacks surrounding homes. They stressed that the campaign aims to uphold the rule of law and protect state properties. The campaign is for the removal of five types of encroachments – diwaniyas, concrete structures built on sidewalks and shared squares, walls and green netting used to enclose public setbacks and obstruct visibility at residential intersections, and haphazard wooden and prefabricated structures erected outside property boundaries. The campaign includes the removal of barriers blocking pedestrian walkways that impede access for emergency teams and infrastructure maintenance workers.