RIYADH, 28 December 2006 — As the festive air of Eid arrives once again, a comprehensive plan to ensure public safety, health and hygiene during the Eid Al-Adha festival has been drawn up by Riyadh municipal officials, said Ibrahim Al-Quaiyid, a member of the Municipal Council, said here yesterday.
Al-Quaiyid said that a huge contingent of municipal workers has been deployed to enforce the plan, and to ensure better hygienic conditions especially at the local slaughterhouses.
More than 200,000 heads of sheep, goats and camels are likely to be sacrificed in the capital city alone during the three days of Eid celebrations. “The municipality, on its part, has made elaborate arrangements especially for sacrificing animals in clean and hygienic conditions,” said Al-Quaiyid. He called on the people to use designated slaughterhouses for sacrifice. The city’s municipal slaughterhouses, including the largest such facility in Al-Hair, have been refurbished with latest equipment. These abattoirs have also deployed a large number of trained people for sacrificing animals.
Besides monitoring the sale of sacrificial animals, the city has fully opened up to cater to Eid shoppers, where crowds of men, women and children looking to complete their shopping early can be seen on the streets. “From what I’ve seen, all major malls in the city remain full of shoppers until midnight for the last few days,” said Farid Khan, who works for a local bank here.
The local luxury hotels have also pitched in and announced special Eid packages and offers, said Tarek Bakheet, director of marketing at a local hotel chain.
