The Jeddah municipality has assured visitors that they will no longer be pestered by rodents and feral cats which recently was a source of nuisance for Corniche visitors.

Strollers at the Corniche told Arab News that animals continually disturb the peace in the area. Mohammed Jabrati, a regular visitor to the Corniche said the large number of cats is a constant source of harassment during lunch time on his weekly visits with his family. “These cats interrupt the calm and lovely weather of Jeddah these days,” Jabrati said, adding that “there is no getting away from them.” He appealed to the mayoralty to get rid of the problem.

Another holidaymaker, Mohammed Al-Fayez, criticized the mayoralty for its decreasing interest in the sanitary conditions at the Corniche. Al-Fayez who comes from Riyadh to visit his brother said the Corniche was a favorite destination which they have recently started to avoid. He told Arab News that the increased littering and poor sanitation has encouraged animals to come to the area. “This is a serious health threat as these animals might carry diseases and infect visitors,” Al Fayez said.

Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi, spokesman of the Jeddah municipality told Arab News that the municipality will send the cleanliness, anti-cats and rats teams to the Corniche in the next few days to end this phenomenon.

Al-Ghamdi called upon the public to pick up garbage after them. “People need to stop littering and use the garbage containers to prevent animals from coming to the Corniche,” Al Ghamdi said.