JEDDAH, 12 July 2007 — The fourth Safe Diving and Beach Cleaning Contest is to take place this afternoon around the sea bridge opposite Jeddah Westin Hotel at the Jeddah Corniche.

“We want to ask people to keep the beach clean especially at the Corniche where visitors go for picnics and throw their leftovers into the sea. Our beach is a treasure that we should try to save,” said Mahmoud Al-Sulaimani, organizer of the event.

“Areas that have waste in them are dead because creatures don’t live there. The fish leave for better places,” he added. Around 100 to 130 divers are expected to participate in the event and 80 people have registered so far. The event is part of the Summer Sea Meeting activities that started on June 27 and will last for an entire month.

Participants must have a diving license from the Ministry of Agriculture. “We chose this place because it is a poplar place known to all people and because it is the place where rubbish is mostly found. There will be four groups of divers spread out across the area,” said Waleed Rafia, a diving instructor and head of the Jeddah Divers Group.

Twelve people have registered through Rafia, who is also participating in the contest. Rafia said they expect to find metal cans, fishing equipment and maybe even “magic spells.”

The contest will also test divers’ awareness of safety procedures, whether they take care of their equipment, and the way they dive. “Their equipment must be their own and not rented… They should take care of going inside and outside the sea and balance their pressure. They must never dive alone and must ensure the welfare of their co-divers,” said Al-Sulaimani.

He added, “We are living in a coastal city and it is shameful that we do not use the sea for more activities… People say that sea activities are dangerous without even trying them.”

Organizers of the meeting have distributed 400,000 fliers in Jeddah and Makkah. The Summer Sea Meeting takes place twice a year — once in summer and once during the spring break and targets all strata of the society.

The Summer Sea Meeting is developing year after year. The idea for the camp was developed 16 years ago. Programs relating to culture, the marine, sports, administration and training are held by the group.

The three winners of the diving contest will be announced on Sunday together with the names of winners of an underwater photography competition that took place on June 21.