JEDDAH, 6 April 2007 — Municipality officials recently decided that the city had expanded enough that it was time to relocate the animal market. The move was criticized by vendors who said the stall rental prices at the new market in Al-Khomrah district, about 30 km south of downtown, were high and at the same time customer traffic would be adversely affected by the greater distance.
Now it appears that some vendors are simply setting up impromptu animal stalls in neighborhood streets, upsetting local residents.
“The smell is unbearable,” said Fahd Abdul Rahman Ahmad, a resident of the Kilo 3 area where a vendor from the old livestock market has set up pens filled with live sheep. “This is a health hazard. There’s blood, skin and fat trimmings on the street — flies everywhere.”
Residents have complained to city officials, but as of yesterday nothing has been done to shut down the illegal and improvised livestock abattoir.
Shabeh Al-Shekhi, a leader of a group of livestock vendors at the new market, says the city should shut these operations down. Aside from what he considers a hazard to public health, these markets snarl an already bad traffic situation in these areas.
“The municipality should fight this phenomenon because it damages the image of the Bride of the Red Sea,” he said, referring to Jeddah’s nickname. “I am sure that the municipality will act soon.”
The old livestock market completed its relocation from a residential district on the eastern side of the Expressway to Al-Khomrah on March 12. The camel and firewood markets were also moved. Local residents hailed the move as a step in the right direction.
Real estate officials said the move considerably increased property and rent values near the old market. However, the vendors were more or less opposed to the move, many of whom reluctantly relocated because they had no choice.
While the razing of the old market was under way earlier last month, a Saudi man in his late 50s came and thanked the officials for finally moving the market away. The old man who is living near the market said that they were suffering from the smell and traffic jams caused by the market customers for years.
“I’m very happy that this day finally came,” he said.
Some vendors, however, are not and have taken it upon themselves to set up shop anywhere they see fit.
