Gas stations in Jeddah will be allowed to distribute free boxes of tissue papers to customers once again as part of their customer service enhancement, said Col. Saeed Sarhan, an official spokesman for the Civil Defense.

Stations used to distribute tissue paper boxes for free in the past, but authorities prohibited the practice late last year for safety reasons.

Sarhan told Arab News that authorities have stipulated that gas station owners in Jeddah abide by safety regulations, such as storing tissue paper boxes in fire-proof containers and distributing the freebies away from petrol pumps.

The more than 1,000 gas stations in Jeddah received these instructions.

He said the decision to allow the distribution of free tissue paper boxes and water bottles came following extensive discussion between Civil Defense officials with tissue paper manufacturers and gas station owners, who claim that they incurred heavy financial losses due to the ban, which lasted more than six months.

Officials said that the original decision was meant to prevent fire hazards and not eliminate the distribution of promotional freebies altogether.

The majority of gas stations in Jeddah have gone back to handing out tissue paper boxes to attract customers to various facilities, such as oil-changing and car-washing.

The Civil Defense recommends that gas stations install fire-proof stands for the boxes and ensure that these stands do not obstruct the driver's view.

Mohammad Baabbad, a local company that produces and sells tissue papers in Jeddah, told Arab News: “There were many false rumors about the quality of our products when the decision was made. Many said the quality of our boxes don’t match Saudi specifications,” he said.

Mohammad Turkistani, the owner of a group of gas stations in Jeddah, expressed his happiness with the decision. He told Arab News that his business bore heavy losses and that he hopes to make up for these losses in coming months.