Mall cameras are not always welcome

Installing security cameras in Saudi malls is common sense to some shoppers; others say it is uncomfortable knowing someone is watching you.
Highlighting the presence of cameras by putting up signs might be a solution, they added.
The Council of Saudi Chambers announced that shopping centers should put up signs to alert shoppers to the presence of security cameras, according to a daily newspaper. Arab News tried to contact the council but no one was available for comment.
Security men working at shopping centers cannot always control the crowd, according to Salman Ibraheem, a 29-year-old security man at one of Jeddah’s malls.
“We are hired to stand at the main gates of the shopping center to stop young men from entering the mall and harassing female shoppers,” he said. “There are not many security men who walk inside the mall to ensure safety and I know for a fact that mall owners do not look at the recorded tapes unless there was a reported theft or other security threats,” he added.
Security cameras in shopping centers are essential elements to assure safety according to Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, spokesman for Jeddah police. “Security cameras are one of the most important requirements for shopping centers, supermarkets or even pharmacies,” he said. “This condition was placed by the police to keep records of any reported thefts or security threats and we always request owners of shopping centers to have them on every corner and corridor so the whole mall can be secure and we also ask them to never stop recording and keep the tapes in the archives so it would be easy for us to access when needed,” he added.
Ahmed Safei Eldeen, an Egyptian father of three, told Arab News that cameras are necessary in shopping centers to avoid thefts. “Every shop should have its own security camera and it should be recording 24/7 even if the shops are closed because you never know what happens after closing hours,” he said. “Shop owners should not trust their employees and should always follow up with them to make sure their business is going the right way,” he added.
Nadiah Al-Yousef, a mother of five girls, said that security cameras in shopping centers should be scrapped because it makes women feel like they are watched. “I always cover my face, but sometimes I need to uncover it to take a closer look at the product I want to buy, and with cameras around me I cannot do that anymore knowing that there will be a stranger looking at me behind the screen,” she said. “I feel exposed and unsafe because those people behind the cameras might release the video on the Internet. I mean this makes you wonder if we trust security guards,” she added.
Raneem Ayyad, a 27-year-old businesswoman, said cameras would keep young men from harassing women. “This would be used as evidence against those men who like to walk around shopping centers just to annoy and pursue female shoppers,” she said. “Putting up signs that alert shoppers to these cameras is very good. I have seen them in shopping centers abroad and this might also be a reason for those harassers to stay away from us,” she added.
“It is not comfortable knowing that someone is watching your every move,” said 35-year-old Saudi salesman Ahmed Bahareth. “It is extremely uncomfortable working under cameras all the time. I don’t like that my boss is watching me wherever I go and whatever I do,” he said. “There has to be trust between the employee and the employer. Sometimes I want to take a break and just sit down for a cup for tea. However, knowing that he will know and I might get in trouble for this innocent act makes me sad,” he added.
Anas Al-Serafi, general manager of Serafi Mega Mall in Jeddah, said security cameras are part of a modern technology system that helps police and security guards monitor the shopping center. “Malls attract some of the largest crowds and we need to observe those crowds and make sure they are safe and everything is going smoothly,” he said. “Our cameras at the mall record 24/7 to also monitor those who work in the mall at night. We keep the records for one week to 15 days before we record over them,” he added.