Recently, as I was returning home from university, my driver rolled down his window and threw out a dirty tissue on the road. This was a bit of a shock as no one in our family ever litters so, I asked him: "Why did you throw it outside?" He replied that he sees Saudis doing it all the time and if citizens don't care about the cleanliness of their country, then why should he, a foreigner, be bothered? His answer left me feeling angry and wondering why the Kingdom does not issue a law or enforce a penalty on anyone littering on our roads. I have always wished we had more stringent laws for those who litter and destroy or deface public property. If he had such rules in place, perhaps the damage to the new Corniche in Jeddah could have been minimized when it was opened to the public. I wish the government starts penalizing people, both Saudis and non-Saudis, when they pollute the environment. Such people need to understand that when they show such blatant disregard for the environment, they are also disrespecting common spaces that are meant to be shared and enjoyed by the general public. Not only that, but a dirty city creates a bad impression for visitors and the rest of the world. Recently, I learned that the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs is finally in the process of enacting a law to prevent these negative practices from happening in public places inside residential areas. I am really waiting for this law to be activated and so can people can start getting punished for polluting the country. As a matter of fact, littering contradicts Islamic teachings. For instance, when a Muslim visitor comes to Saudi Arabia, if he/she sees that the roads and streets are full of garbage, there is no doubt that this person will question our Islamic commitment to cleanliness! I am 100% in support of having laws and fines to protect the environment. I also would love to see these fines implemented not just when it comes to littering but also for any uncivilized behavior that harms the country's public properties. If the government enforces these penalties then people will surely be deterred and will think twice before recklessly polluting the environment or damaging public property.
