MAKKAH — Wadi Nuaman, located between Makkah and Taif, lacks basic amenities and officials in each city blame each other for the underdevelopment of the area. Residents say they are paying the price for the location of their village, which is on the border of the two municipalities. [caption id="attachment_72816" align="alignright" width="300"] The unfinished hospital project in Al-Karr, Wadi Nuaman.[/caption]No healthcare projects have been carried out in villages in Wadi Nuaman in recent years, intensifying the physical and mental woes the residents have been suffering. They have to rely on private hospitals and clinics in Makkah or Taif in case of any illness. In summer, these villagers suffer from an acute shortage of drinking water although the pipelines that feed Taif with water pass through the valley. Negligence by authorities of Ain Zubaida, a water project launched during the period of Abbasid Caliph Haroon Al-Rasheed about 1,200 years ago, is another issue raised by residents. They have called upon the Makkah Mayoralty and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) to intervene to expedite development projects in Wadi Nuaman. Khaled Al-Olayani expressed his dismay over the disruption of a healthcare project in Al-Karr. "It remains a concrete structure without any further progress in years," he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. The Health Affairs in Makkah has extended the contract to complete the project. "But the project still remains incomplete, leaving residents hopeless." The existing health center operates in a dilapidated building that lacks many facilities. "We are waiting for the completion of the new health center in Al-Karr with extreme patience. We hope it would put an end to our frequent trips to Taif and Makkah for medical care," Al-Olayani added. Abdullah Al-Otaibi stressed the need to establish an advanced medical center for residents of villages in Wadi Nuaman. He said the medical center should have facilities to treat accident victims on Makkah-Taif Highway, especially during Haj and Umrah seasons. "Authorities should make sure quick implementation of this vital health project, which will not only benefit the villagers but also pilgrims and other travelers using the highway," he added. He also said the existing health center was lacking an adequate number of medical staff to serve patients. "There is only one doctor to handle all sorts of cases," Al-Otaibi said. "The present facility does not have a dental clinic or maternity and pediatric wards. Expecting mothers face a lot of difficulties to reach hospital when they get labor pain." Ali Al-Hadhli brought the attention of the authorities to the presence of a large number of illegal foreign workers in Nuaman valley. "They use the Ain Zubaida project site as a hideout." He also said the authorities have neglected valuable Islamic antiquities in the area. "The Ain Zubaida renovation project still remains in paper," Al-Hadhli told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. "We don't see any progress on this project." He urged security agencies and SCTH to expedite implementation of Ain Zubaida, instead of leaving its premises as a safe have for illegal migrants. Atiyyah Al-Hadhli said illegal residents survive selling Zamzam water along the Makkah-Taif Highway. "Illegal workers engage in this activity with full freedom." He urged the mayoralty to allow Saudis to sell Zamzam in the area by setting up makeshift stalls. Ahmed Abdul Aziz emphasized the shortage of drinking water in Nuaman villages. "Pipelines from desalination plants pass by these villages to supply water to Taif but the villagers are denied the service. We don't know the reason for this negligence by the authorities. We are located between Makkah and Taif and the authorities of both the cities think it was other city's duty to take care of our welfare," he explained.
