As soon as Eid prayers were over, butchers across the city began slaughtering animals in public — including parks and on streets — without the supervision of the authorities. The city's slaughterhouses were also packed with people who had come to slaughter their animals.
Similar to last year, butchers had hiked up prices and markets were burgeoning with illegal overstayers who were slaughtering, skinning and cutting meat into pieces.
"I paid SR100 to an unlicensed butcher. In normal days I only pay SR20 if I feel generous," said Abdul Rahman Asiri, adding that he was unable to take his animals to a slaughterhouse, as they were all full to the brim.
"If I went to a slaughterhouse then I would have ended up waiting for ages just like last year. There are a few licensed slaughterhouses in Jeddah and they're mainly jam-packed with people. I don't like to hire overstayers as butchers, but what can I do? I'm forced to use their services," he added.
Fares Al-Olayyani said it often happens that after Eid Al-Adha prayers people look for butchers to slaughter their animals. "The search could take several hours and butchers take advantage of that and charge high prices. We know that these people may be carrying diseases and that they aren't licensed, but what other option do we have?" he said.
Al-Olayyani said he was left extremely shocked when he saw a neighborhood plumber carrying a butcher's knife and looking for customers.
"Everyone becomes a butcher on Eid Al-Adha," he said. "If the authorities were doing their job properly, then none of this would happen."
Faisal Al-Harbi said he has learned from previous years that the problem will always continue and repeat every year. He added that if the municipality was doing its job instead of issuing warnings, then the problem would end forever.
"I learned that nothing works with our municipality and so I taught myself how to slaughter animals. I've been doing it myself ever since. The scene of butchers roaming streets is scary, especially when these people start fighting with each other for customers," he said.
"They don't hesitate to use their knives on each other. Where are the municipality and police? We shouldn't ask because they're busy enjoying Eid with their families."
An official at a slaughterhouse in the north of Jeddah said the price for slaughtering is SR50 on the first day of Eid, SR30 on the second day and SR20 on the third day. After Eid, prices return to the standard SR10.
