Saudi women call for swimming pools to cool off
Published: Jul 26, 2010 23:21 Updated: Oct 21, 2010 00:28
JEDDAH: With temperatures soaring in the Kingdom these days, a number of Saudi women have called for special women-only swimming pools for them to cool off. They say the pools found in rest houses are expensive and tend to be unclean.
Maram Ahmed, a 19-year-old from Jeddah, called for swimming pools for women in sports clubs, something she said would be beneficial for the overall health of members of the public.
Manal Al-Mazeed, a 22-year-old Saudi girl, said women often have to pay as much as SR1,500 to rent a rest house for a single day to swim. “I wished there were special swimming pools for women at reasonable costs,” she said.
On the other hand, there are plenty of swimming pools that cater to men. However, many men also say these pools are unclean and use chlorine heavily. “There are no protective measures to ensure swimmers do not get skin diseases and the like,” said one local resident.
Abdullah Al-Ahmadi, a resident of the northern city of Hail, said most swimming pools smell of chlorine.
“You can’t be sure that all those who use these swimming pools do not have contagious skin diseases,” he said, adding that the remnants of food are left at the edges of swimming pools and that this can often lead to contamination.
Al-Ahmadi feels most swimming pools in the Kingdom do not abide by health and safety rules. “People employed to look after these pools are usually not checked themselves to ascertain they are not carrying contractable diseases,” he said.
The owners of a number of swimming pools refuted the claims and said they stringently observe health and safety guidelines, including those outlined by the Civil Defense and municipal bodies.
Dr. Nawal Atiq, a dermatologist, said cleaning swimming pools by chlorine could cause certain diseases that affect lungs. She added that asthma can also be triggered by unhygienic swimming pools.
Capt. Bandar bin Hamoud Al-Ahmadi, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Madinah region, said the Civil Defense often inspects public swimming pools to ensure they are clean and healthy.

Comments
SID
Jul 27, 2010 19:33
Report abuseMOHAMMED
Jul 27, 2010 20:01
Report abuseUM YASMINE
Jul 28, 2010 01:10
Report abuseTOMM
Jul 28, 2010 13:59
Report abuseSARRA
Jul 28, 2010 15:02
Report abuseMORE Swimming pools for WOMAN pleaseee....!!