TAIMA – People of Taima governorate in the northern Tabuk region have complained that the city lacks essential facilities such as asphalted roads due to negligence of authorities. Being a historical city, Taima hosts several ancient artifacts that date back to civilizations existed in 2000 BC including Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations. "Al-Hamra and Ablaq palaces in Taima highlight its historical importance," said one resident. The government has allocated billions of riyals for development of Taima in the past years but those amounts were not properly utilized by the various departments. The residential districts of Rabwa, Safa, Alfao, Rahmaniya and Shafa look abandoned, lacking essential public facilities. "One can see so many modern residential buildings in Rahmaniya but most of its streets are not asphalted and lack street lights," said Zabn Bin Saleh Al-Faqeer. He held the municipality responsible for the underdevelopment of Taima governorate. "For the past 20 years residents of Rahmaniya have been calling upon authorities to asphalt its roads and establish street lights. People fear to go out in the night," Mohammed Al-Anazi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. People have set up own lighting systems in front of their homes to get protection from snakes and dogs, Al-Anazi said. Prince Fahd Bin Sultan Park has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes due to lack of proper cleaning and due to the presence of swamps. Zabn Al-Anazi called upon the municipality to spray insecticides in the park to kill disease-carrying mosquitoes. "We don't see the municipality shouldering its responsibilities in Taima. We have been facing the mosquito issue for years," he pointed out. Taima's road system also has become a death trap for motorists and has witnessed several accidents due to engineering defects. "The first roundabout along the Tabuk-Taima Road cannot accommodate large number of vehicles at peak times," said one resident. Taima's vegetable market has another strange story to tell. Work on the market's new building started about 20 years ago but was completed very late due to disruptions. The new market was closed when authorities found construction defects on its building. Another market is now under construction. The project also faced disruptions and the municipal chairman Saud Bin Harisan Al-Anazi blamed the contractor and Saudi Electricity Company for the delay.
