The exit of several illegal workers is expected to create a shortage of roaming butchers across the Kingdom this Eid Al-Adha.

However, due to the outbreak of MERs and Ebola virus, the municipality has urged residents to steer clear of illegal butchers as they often go home to home using unclean tools.

Officials have advised residents observing the sacrificial rite during Eid Al-Adha to get their animals and the meat inspected from the authorized abattoirs in the interest of public health.

Moreover, to reduce rush and congestion in the abattoirs, some butcher shops in Jeddah have been made available for providing the services to sacrifice animals.

Since residents are expected to face huge problems in finding illegal butchers, the regular slaughterhouses have announced that they will try their best to ensure the sacrificial process is done as soon as possible in order to avoid overcrowding.

Khalid S., a health officer said: “Although the shortage of butchers will create difficulties for the residents, it is necessary that they should abide by the instructions from the municipality to avoid any health risk. Besides, the illegal butchers don’t follow correct slaughter procedure and are not conscious if the animal is appropriate in terms health condition.”

Similarly, Mohammed Ahmed, a resident of Jeddah commented: “Earlier, most of the people in Jeddah used an illegal butcher as an easy alternative to get the job done fast even if they charged high prices. This year, to avoid chaos in the slaughterhouse, the authorities can make some temporary legal slaughterhouses and legalize these butchers as the amount of sacrifices is voluminous.”

The municipality has warned the freelance butchers indulging in illegal sacrificing. If caught, they may face heavy fines. In addition to this, residents found slaughtering animals at home will also face fines.

Abdullah Suaib, owner of four buildings, has clearly instructed the tenants not to practice any illegal slaughtering. He said “Several Saudi families consider slaughtering at home as part of their tradition, whereas some of them find the slaughterhouses to be far away. Nonetheless, clear instructions have been issued by the municipality and the citizens have been asked to follow the rules.”

He added that the shortage of illegal butchers will bring a drastic change in reducing home slaughtering.