JEDDAH, 21 April 2005 — The role of municipality should not be confined to dealing with issues of water supply, sewage and garbage clearance but should encompass all services such as education, health care and others that concern citizens.
This is the view of Ahmad Badeeb, former deputy chief of Saudi Intelligence who is running for a seat in the Jeddah Municipal Council. Elections to seven seats in the council will be held today in the third and final phase of the Kingdom’s landmark municipal poll.
Asked what prompted him to run, he said he was inspired by his desire to serve the city and solve the problems of its residents, such as road maintenance, traffic and sewage system.
Since most Saudis are young, youth should get the attention they deserve, Badeeb said. He calls for establishing youth centers and athletic clubs in each district. Those with special needs should also be provided with separate social centers.
As a man known for his passion for culture, he would seek to develop the old districts of Jeddah. “Cultural growth should go side by side with structural growth.”
Badeeb recently announced his plan to institute an annual award for journalism under the name of “Jeddah award for journalism”. The award will be worth SR500,000, he said. Four prizes — for best writer, cartoonist, photographer and investigative reporter — will be awarded, he added. Winners will be chosen by a panel of well-known senior journalists.
He also plans to establish a Jeddah history research center that will be a treasure house of books and historical documents pertaining to the city of Jeddah.
