They struck as Jeddah police and Civil Defense forces were busy with rescue operations in east and south Jeddah.
Although there were no official figures on the number of robberies, Arab News was inundated with calls from theft victims.
A Filipino resident from Faisaliyah said his car was stolen after he finally arrived home from work. “It took me nine hours to get home after I was stranded somewhere in the industrial area in the south,” said the man, Alfonso. “Arriving home was a miracle for me. I parked my car as normal and went upstairs to get some rest. Five minutes later, I heard the sound of glass being broken and when I looked outside the window, someone was speeding away with my car.” He tried to call police but had no luck getting through.
A Saudi man in Aziziyah who chose to remain anonymous reported his car plates stolen. He said that he woke up Thursday morning only to find that both plates had gone.
“On the same street, two other cars were broken into and thieves took what was inside,” he added.
He said that police and Civil Defense officers were absent in the street and surrounding areas. Security simply did not exist, he added.
Al-Rawdah resident Suleiman Abu Taha, said that he saw from his window a man inside his backyard trying to steal some tires. He shouted at him and the man jumped over the wall and escaped on foot. “I was lucky that I heard the sound. I cannot believe that there are people like this taking advantage of the situation. I hope that they burn in hell,” he added.
Volunteers in the southern areas were seen organizing a neighborhood watch team. They were armed with sticks and their main aim was to provide aid to the needy and help protect the properties of local residents.
