The fire turned the factory into rubbles. It then emerged that the Civil Defense had earlier told the owners that safety measures at the factory were not sufficient. It had also asked the owners to shift the factory elsewhere.

My understanding is that a shop four meters by four meters will never be given a license to do any kind of business without the consent of the Civil Defense, even if it is a real estate office where people sit and chat.

So how can a factory carry out its activities in the middle of a residential and commercial area without taking into consideration the Civil Defense’s feedback?

I personally know of big buildings in Makkah whose owners were ordered to construct stairs at the back of the building, sacrificing the planned construction of additional bathrooms.

This ruling reduced the rent price and the value of the building itself. Most tellingly, these amendments were ordered 10 years after the buildings were constructed.

What is the use of official warnings if they are not heeded? Who is going to pay the bill for the complete destruction of neighboring buildings and residents if the fire spread to them, particularly as there was a gas station a few meters north of the factory?

After the floods in Jeddah, official sources at the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment said they had warned months in advance about the risk of flashfloods.

What is the use of warnings if they are not heeded? What if the warning was old and did not include estimates of the magnitude of the disaster? What if it did not reach the people so that they could escape to save their lives and valuables?

In Jeddah today there are many spots that are potential disaster areas. They include, for instance, the workshops in the industrial area north of Jeddah.

This is not only an area of risk, but it also provides an ugly view in front of the refurbished King Abdul Aziz Airport after work is completed within three years.
 
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