The chief administrator in Yanbu, Ibrahim Al-Sultan, has set up a committee to supervise the elections. The committee is chaired by Yousuf Al-Fayedi, assistant director of services. Contestants should be Saudi, physically fit, should have adequate knowledge of fishing regulations in the Kingdom.

The announcement for elections came after a number of fishermen lodged complaints against the existing chairman Naji Al-Ruwaisi. The director of the fisheries department has withdrawn the official stamp from Al-Ruwaisi in preparations to remove him from the post. As many as 37 fishermen lodged a complaint to the department director against Al-Ruwaisi, saying he was not available to solve their problems.

Al-Ruwaisi on his part lodged another complaint to the minister of agriculture to conduct an investigation into the circumstances that led to withdrawing his authority as head of the fishermen’s group.

In his complaint, Al-Ruwaisi asked why the authorities did not conduct elections soon after the end of his term nine months ago. He said 177 fishermen had requested the department to extend his term, adding that the former department director had certified him as the best head of fishermen.

“I know that my position is a voluntary one and I don’t take any salary and everybody knows I have doing a lot of service to fishermen,” he added.