MAKKAH, 13 December 2006 — During this season it is common to see most Umm Al-Qura University students living in tents, the daily Al-Madinah reported yesterday.
The students are kicked out from their furnished apartments where they live because they cannot afford the sudden increase in rent prices due to the Haj season. Most furnished apartment building owners increase their prices to kick students out in order to rent it to pilgrims.
Students say that living inside a tent is not good for their studies especially with midterm exams looming.
These students put the blame on the greedy owners who are not sympathizing with them and want to earn as much profit as possible. Others say that they had already prepared for this because it is a scenario repeated every year. Some students said that they do not blame the owners because this is high season for them and they will not waste it on students.
Basim Al-Ghamdi is one of these students. He told Al-Madinah that he and 10 other students have decided to live in a tent after they were forced out of their accommodations.
“The university didn’t provide us with any alternative, so we’re left out with no financial aid,” said Al-Ghamdi.
Ahmed Al-Shedwi complained that they are suffering because of the cold conditions in Makkah these days.
“This is hell, no shelter, no transportation, and no financial aid,” he said. “We have not received our financial aid check from the university in a while.”
“We thought a lot about it and living in a tent suits our current financial situations, because we do not have to pay rent,” said Majed Al-Ghamdi, seemingly trying to find a bright side to the situation. “This is better than going back and forth from our towns and villages; it’s a lot cheaper.”
Tawfiq Hussein and Abdullah Al-Baidani urged the university to pay them their financial aid because they had to borrow money from friends and relatives to meet their expenses.
Muhammad Ali complained about the conditions on which they were forced to live in and also said disbursing financial aid checks to coincide with this annual inconvenience would be a step in the right direction.
“The weather is changing from hot in the morning to extremely cold at night” said student Muhammad Ali. “Is it too much to ask to solve this problem that happens every time Haj comes around?”
Hisham ibn Bakr Hariri, the deputy rector at the university, told Al-Madinah that the Ministry of Finance is responsible for the financial aid issue. “We have consulted them but they have not responded,” said Hariri.
