RIYADH, 7 June — It has been extremely difficult for Riyadh’s police to control crowds and redirect congested traffic from their police cars, especially on the weekends and during holidays. As a result, they can now be seen in the capital patrolling the streets on horseback.
Horses have been used by the police in the West for decades to control unruly crowds and in anti-riot operations.
Here in the Kingdom, horses have been employed because of the growing number of city dwellers and densely crowded areas, especially popular shopping malls like the Faisaliya Center and Kingdom Tower on King Fahd Road.
Many families visit these places during the week, but flock to them at weekends. Children are attracted by the indoor amusement and play areas, while older youths — Riyadh’s famous fun-loving "shabab" — visit the designer shops and cruise in their cars along the streets adjacent to the malls.
Police patrolling on horseback have at last been able to bring some order.
Ahmed, who visits the Faisaliya Center with his wife every week for coffee, told Arab News: "The police are doing a good job guiding the people who visit the mall but it still gets crowded at the entrance, where young men gather in groups and block the way. It would be good to have more officers on horses, so these youths can be made to understand that they are being observed — which will surely encourage them to behave."
For the residents of Riyadh, police on horseback are now a familiar sight. And who knows, one day tourists may even buy a postcard of one to send back to their family.
