The Jeddah municipality raided a number of local restaurants in the south of Jeddah specializing in African cuisine.

The move comes on the back of the municipality’s closure of popular and well-known restaurants for violations of health and safety specifications three weeks ago.

The municipality’s action sparked controversy across social networking sites as users questioned why the small restaurants which were mainly located in Al-Kandra and the surrounding neighborhoods had remained open while the upscale eateries had been shut down.

The municipality also carried out inspections in a number of large and small neighborhoods throughout the city over the past three days. The raids resulted in the closing down of 27 restaurants, slaughterhouses and cattle sheds and the owners were slapped with fines, according to municipal officials.

Violations include operating without a license, using unhygienic cooking equipment and food preparation areas, poor maintenance of infrastructure, the presence of rodents and insects, improper food storage procedures and use of food or vegetables that have not been washed before cooking.

Meanwhile, the municipality’s exposure and defamation of violating restaurants online has increased followers of its Twitter account to more than a quarter of a million users, the highest and most active of all active government accounts.

In a statement on Sunday, the municipality confirmed that all its followers are real users. The municipality said it also continuously engages with followers, particularly on matters regarding complaints and observations.