JEDDAH: Junk mail has developed into a constant headache for residents of Jeddah who — faced with heaps of flyers, leaflets, brochures and free weekly magazines and newspapers at their front doors and post boxes — do not know what to do.
The problem is further compounded with some of the mail including verses form the Qur’an that can make people uneasy to see being used in promotional materials, not to mention tossed on the ground or thrown in the trash.
“I don’t know what to do with the heaps of junk mail that comes to my front door every morning,” said Sultan Al-Mahmadi, a local Saudi resident.
Al-Mahmadi said he was horrified to find that some of the brochures and leaflets thrown in the dirt contained verses of the Qur’an. “One early morning, I caught up with a man who was delivering leaflets. I told him I didn’t like the way he was doing his job, particularly with material containing Qur’anic verses being thrown at the door of my apartment,” he said.
“He promised me not to do it again. However, the next morning I found more material at my door. I learned that it was dropped off by some other delivery people.”
On the other hand, Saeed Muhammad, a distribution worker, said: “I never leave leaflets at the homes of people who object to the material. I start work straight after the dawn prayers and cover all houses in three districts each day.” He also said that some people look forward to the leaflets, especially the ones detailing discount prices.
“It gives them an opportunity to know where things are being sold. I think a lot of people also compare prices at different supermarkets,” he said. An official from a recycling company in Jeddah said: “I believe that paper recycling companies are the largest beneficiaries of this business. We get tons of junk mail delivered to us each week.”
Fathi Muhammad, director of the Waleed Shirah legal firm in Jeddah, said there is no harm in distributing leaflets at people’s doors. “There’s nothing that warrants legal action against those who distribute leaflets and the like unless this involves damaging someone’s property in which case the injured party has the right to file a lawsuit against those who are doing such things,” he said.
According to official statistical data published in 2006, there are 945 printing houses in the Kingdom. Riyadh has the highest number with 420 presses; Jeddah comes second with 380 presses. There are also 90 presses in the Eastern Province, 30 in Madinah and 25 in Qassim. Apart from printing books and periodicals, these printing presses produce millions of leaflets for free distribution.
“From past experience we’ve observed that taking leaflets directly to people’s homes is far more effective than distributing them at commercial centers and public places,” said Hani Mustafa, a circulation official at a distribution company in Jeddah.
Mustafa said his company employs 20 people who distribute 60,000 flyers and brochures each week. He estimates that two million pieces of promotional material are left at people’s doors each week across the Kingdom.
He said he seldom receives complaints from people protesting at items being left in front of their homes.
