JEDDAH, 27 December 2004 — People are still perplexed about mail distribution to their doorsteps. Many look up to it and others are skeptical about the possibility of implementing the door delivery system. Saudi postal authorities plan to give details of the new service at a press conference to be held after Haj.
Many people are still finding great difficulty receiving mail to their P.O. Boxes. Others fail to identify their home addresses, which prevents them from receiving mail. It is felt that redistribution of mail addresses by the postal authority would overcome many obstacles.
“Jeddah is a very big city, the addresses are not clear. I think that redistribution of new addresses will take a long time, maybe years. It is a very crucial issue for people to be able to receive mail at their doorsteps,” said Muhammad, an Arabic teacher.
Omar Mahmoud, an accountant in a marketing company, said: “Mail system reflects the civilization and development of a country. I think it’s a good idea but it requires a lot of work because the infrastructure does not exist here. Many houses, like in southern Jeddah, do not have numbers.”
Sara, a housewife, said: “Home delivery of mail is vital for awareness campaigns. Awareness letters and brochures reaching the doorsteps of people would definitely help messages to reach out to the masses and achieve their goals.”
Some people do not have TV sets at home. Mail is the best means of communication for them, she added.
Ahmad Hassan, an engineer, said: “It is a complicated process. If it succeeds, it will save money, effort and time.” He thought the new service will take a lot of time to be implemented efficiently.
When contacted by Arab News, Khaled Al-Firm, Saudi Postal Authority’s media consultant, said: “Every citizen will have a new mail address as in his ID. New electronic maps will be designed to facilitate reaching the right addresses. Electronic cars delivering mail will have the geographic positioning technology that leads to each person’s address. People will be able to follow their mails through the mail website to know where they have reached. Express mail will be more flexible as well.”
“Reforming the Saudi mail and adding new strategies will give the postal system universal characteristics and put it in competition with private companies like DHL and FedEx,” he added.
According to Al-Firm, the service will be launched in Riyadh first before being extended to Jeddah and other cities.
