There was a near total blackout in some neighborhoods in Jeddah yesterday.

Affected residents and factory and restaurant owners expressed anguish at what they termed as Saudi Electricity Company’s poor planning for summer.

The power cuts are occurring at a time when temperatures have soared abnormally, and the holy month of Ramadan is a mere two weeks away.

Jeddawis have urged relevant departments to solve the problem immediately.

A number of businessmen demanded compensation from the electricity company for damages incurred during the power failures.

Aisha, a housewife, expressed her frustration saying, “There are children and elderly people who cannot withstand long periods of time with no electricity.”

Her husband was dismayed too. “It is quite ironic that the Kingdom is facing power failure despite being one of the largest producers of energy in the world,” he said. “They always blame it on a technical error.”

Abdul Rahman Abrand, a physician, said: “As doctors, we are most adversely affected by these power interruptions. Hospitals and surgery rooms require reliable power flow; people’s lives are at stake. A solution must be found to this serious problem.”

Bandar Anwari, an electric engineer, said: “Repeated incidents of power failure indicate the lack of strategic planning.”

Arab News tried but failed to reach the Saudi Electric Company (SEC) for a comment.

However, a person who is not authorized to issue statement to the media said the power failure that affected some neighborhoods in Jeddah was a result of a malfunction in the network. “The SEC promptly addressed the issue,” he said.