JEDDAH — Workers in the gold market say transporting jewelry from workshops to the stores is done in a primitive way without adequate safety precautions. The finished items are even packaged in cheap bags that do reflect the value of their contents. They say precious metal worth up to SR20 million is routinely transported by couriers in this unprofessional manner. A worker said transporting gold is one of the most dangerous jobs one can handle, as the value of the merchandize they carry can reach SR20 million. “In the absence of proper security measures it is a risky job. The salaries of people who perform this job do not exceed SR3,000. And the couriers are usually not covered by security backups,” said the worker. Owners of gold shops in Jeddah point out that transporting small quantities of gold is done by hand. “We rely on the mutual trust between the courier and the recipient. The couriers are usually relatives of the merchants and the transportation is done in top secrecy to avoid unexpected problems,” said one shop owner. One courier said transporting gold is quite risky even though his company uses armored vehicles with two or three personnel who are armed. “The courier carries an identification card to help the recipient identify him. Large quantities of gold are placed in coded boxes, and can only be opened by entering the code. In case, the code is lost, the box will have to be cut open,” he said. He added that small quantities are moved in special bags by couriers, who can request security protection whenever necessary. Abdulsalam Mahdi, a worker in a gold shop, said that although gold is transported inside bags between their branches, they have never experienced any problems, such as cases of robbery or embezzlement. Saeed Al-Ghamdi, a gold and jewelry shop owner, said most gold shops are run with the help of relatives and trust is the main ingredient. An employee at an insurance company in the Kingdom said most gold shops owners do not insure their products even though the insurance premiums are minimal.
