Jubail port, beaches cleaned up

A major Saudi corporation has cleared away tons of waste from the Jubail port and surrounding beaches in a massive campaign to rehabilitate facilities and protect marine life.
One thousand employees of the Saudi Iron and Steel Company (HADEED), a manufacturing affiliate of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), were involved in the campaign.
The operation covered Jubail Fishing Port, Abu Ali Island and Mardooma Beach, and was part of SABIC’s corporate social responsibility strategy.
The first phase began with a cleanup of the fishing port of Jubail and rehabilitation of some port facilities from Oct. 28 to Nov. 10. Tens of tons of contaminated waste and broken vessels that had been ashore for decades, were removed from the beach using heavy equipment and a fleet of small boats, in coordination with the Border Guard.
The HADEED employees split up into small groups and shared the responsibility of carrying out the huge task. The Jubail port is an important center for fishing, supplying the Eastern Province, Riyadh and the Gulf states with a variety of fish.
The campaign covered an area of 2,000 square meters of the port’s seafront. The workers removed discarded fishing nets, thick ropes in the sea and strung along the beach rocks, metal wires, rubber hoses, pipes, timber, discarded oars, old tires, oils cans, various containers, bags, metal equipment and glass bottles. They also collected for disposal rotting dead fish and piles of other refuse floating along the coast and in the deep sea.
The campaign included the restoration of selected port facilities including a mosque, the main gate and restrooms. The workers also repaired and painted fences, concrete barriers, lampposts, sidewalks and electricity rooms. Construction work related to port services were also carried out. The workers restored the natural colors of the beach rocks by removing harmful algae and floating oil.
Teams of volunteers distributed educational literature in various languages among the fishermen, highlighting the importance of maintaining the port facilities and marine life. Banners and signboards were erected and trash bags distributed as part of the cleanup drive.
The second and third phases of the campaign included cleaning Abu Ali Island, an area of 10 kilometers, and Mardooma Beach. The aim is also to attract more tourists to the area. The HADEED employees held a pictorial exhibition to highlight the various cleaning stages.