RIYADH, 12 February 2007 — In the Kingdom we see advertisements every day in newspapers, billboards, on TV and in the streets. But unlike other countries, the Kingdom has still not allowed advertising on taxi cabs. Members of the Shoura Council yesterday had a healthy debate on whether to allow advertisements on taxi cabs operating in the Kingdom.
Based on a report submitted for discussion by the Ministry of Transport, the committee for transport and communications recommended, based on a report from the Ministry of Rural and Urban Affairs, that the council vote against the idea.
The committee based its decision on several factors — that placing advertisements on taxi would lower public taste; that it would increase the number of accidents in the Kingdom as drivers would pay attention to them; that it had no economic benefits for the country and that the ministry should concentrate on more important issues.
Shoura member Abdullah Al-Dahlan asked the council to vote for the law and said there was nothing new in advertising in the Kingdom as long as it was in keeping with religious teachings.
Another Shoura member, Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Ouraieir, said that the advertising industry was the fastest growing industry in developing countries as well as the biggest industry in many First World countries. “We should not put the blame for traffic accidents here on advertisements but on the non-implementation of traffic rules,” he said.
The council returned the proposal to the transport and communications committee for further study before members vote on it.
