JEDDAH: The municipal council met yesterday for the first time with Saudi businesswomen and other active women in society to discuss the role of the council in developing municipal services and to listen to their complaints openly.
Businesswomen, board members of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and half of the 14 members of the municipal council agreed to meet with women on the JCCI premises.
The meeting started with Tariq Fadaaq, director of the council, outlining the body’s mission. “Our role is to support the city,” Fadaaq said.
JCCI Secretary-General Mustafa Sabri said he hoped this meeting would have a positive effect. “This city belongs to both men and women and we are glad to listen to women’s voices,” Sabri said.
One of the participants drew attention to developing a spirit of volunteerism among the city’s youth and asked about the role of young people in developing the city.
Fadaaq said a memorandum of understanding was signed with King Abdulaziz University to organize programs throughout the year for students to address specific issues in the city.
“We already have internship programs and as for youth-support programs we have many but they have not been activated yet,” Fadaaq said.
Responding to a question about why the municipal council was not actively involved in developing community centers, council member Hasan Al-Zahrani said that the volunteer work was still a new concept to people in the city.
“In mid March we expect the municipality to activate the role of neighborhood centers,” said Al-Zahrani.
Some women who attended the meeting complained about the lack of playgrounds for families and children. Some drew the attention to the lack of transportation options for women and how expensive it is to retain drivers.
