Thousands of holidaymakers from across Saudi Arabia and other GCC states spend their summer holidays every year in this mountainous region to enjoy its green scenery, beautiful parks, cool weather, mountain air and picturesque surroundings.
Many residents, however, are upset that instead of smelling roses, they mostly smell oil and grease, which emanate from car workshops and car service centers dotted across the city.
The residents feel these workshops reflect negatively on this beautiful city and are calling on the region’s authorities to take urgent steps to move them away from residential districts.
Downplaying the concerns of local residents, municipal authorities say they will resolve the matter in the near future by shifting the workshops to a new industrial area.
Some residents said the workshops and car wash centers create air and noise pollution. “Car emissions are a serious health hazard for the people of Taif, especially women, children and the elderly,” said one resident.
Taif is saturated by car workshops, paint shops, tire shops and spare parts outlets, especially in the city’s Wash’haa, Shohada Al-Shamalia, Shohada Al-Jonoubiya, Al-Yemaniyyah, Faisaliyah, Hawiyyah, Mothanna, Jawhara and Sultana Al-Medhbaa districts.
Eida Al-Maliki, a resident of Hawiyyah, blamed some citizens who he said are greedy to earn money by renting out their commercial buildings to such businesses. “It is horrible to live close to these places, directly exposed to car fumes, smoke and the smell of oil and grease,” he said.
Abdul Rahman Al-Adyani, a resident of the Al-Yemaniyyah district, said local residents are always worried about possible fires or explosions at these premises. “We are fed up with these workshops in residential districts. They create a lot of noise and there are always sparks flying because of welding,” said Abdullah Al-Qahtani, a resident of Wash’haa.
“I was forced to move to a township where there is quiet and peacefulness,” he added.
Ismail Ibrahim, director of public relations and information at Taif municipality, said the municipality has set aside over 11 million square meters of land for the first phase of the new industrial city.
“All automobile facilities in the residential districts would be shifted to the new zone, and no new licenses would be issued for any type of car-related workshops,” he added.
