Fasting laborers slow down construction pace in Jeddah

Several construction companies in Jeddah have virtually halted work on their projects since laborers do not work for more than four hours a day after iftar.
With Ramadan coinciding with summer and the mandatory midday break for workers coming into effect from July 1, construction activity has been confined from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., forcing several contractors to suspend work.
The main problem faced by the realty sector is that they can’t extend construction activity beyond a certain time since it would disturb the peace in areas adjoining the project sites.
“Most construction companies have stopped day-time work because the fasting workers can’t be exposed to the summer heat. We operate from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. during Ramadan. But, these working hours are just not sufficient to achieve our targets,” Saad Al-Shuqairi, a Jordanian construction engineer, told Arab News.
“We let our workers do limited construction work during Ramadan like preparing construction material and removing debris. We don’t like them to be involved in tough construction activity in Ramadan,” Sameeh Bayoumi, a Saudi contractor told Arab News.
“There are many construction companies who continue with their building activity during Ramadan without bothering about residents living near construction projects. There are some factors like target for completion which influence the operations,” he said.
The Ministry of Labor has, in any case, imposed the mandatory midday break for laborers who work in the sun during summer from July 1.
All construction companies are expected to follow the restricted timings during summer, but with Ramadan coinciding with the harsh season, the problems of construction companies have been compounded.
According to Article 236 of the Labor Law, individuals and companies that violate the midday work ban would be fined not less than SR3,000 and not more than SR10,000 per violation.
Meanwhile, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) said heat wave conditions could prevail over the western regions of Makkah, Madinah and Red Sea coastal cities Monday.
The PME has forecast that Saudi cities can expect the mercury to touch even 50 degrees Celsius and beyond this summer.