JEDDAH, 2 June 2006 — The Jeddah Municipality is presently conducting a study to find places where livestock could be sold around the city of Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat reported yesterday.
The decision to establish such selling points was made after it was decided to move the main cattle market 20 kilometers south of Jeddah.
Ali Al-Shalawi, a businessman who deals in cattle, said moving the market away from Jeddah has negatively affected business and caused traders financial loss. He believes the plan of setting up selling points around Jeddah should have been carried out when the main cattle market was being moved. That would have helped cattle investors develop their business strategies, he said.
Khudair Al Barakati is a cattle trader who had rented a location in the new market. He said that if he knew about the new sale points around Jeddah he would have never rented a place in the new market.
“Local places in the city are much more profitable compared to this market that is far from everywhere,” he said.
He said that street dealers who sell cattle from their vehicles are the main people who are going to benefit from the situation. They just drive through Jeddah, drop their livestock at various selling points and leave without having to pay any rent, he said. “Regulations do not affect those dealers,” he added.
An official at the municipality noted that the plan of establishing sale points is still being considered and would not be implemented until it is decided whether they would be beneficial for all.
The Jeddah Municipality decided to move the cattle market from the eastern side of Palestine Street to Al-Khumrah area last year.
The market is presently moving and is expected to have completely transferred within a few months according to municipality officials. The plan to move the market from Palestine Street was made due to the area going through some rapid development and new districts emerging close by, the official said.
The official also noted that the municipality had received many complaints from residents in the area who were annoyed by the smell of cattle and waste and traffic problems in the area especially during vacation periods when customers would frequently visit the market.
So far, he said, almost 60 percent of the market has shifted to the new location.
