Soon after Asr (evening) prayers, the Corniche area and the adjacent recreation parks are humming with activity which were missing for the last few years. With Ramadan this year coinciding with summer vacations, many families are seen making a beeline to comfortable areas along the Corniche where they can partake of their Iftar meals in complete tranquility and peace, away from the humdrum of the busy and noisy neighborhoods of the city. People thronging the Corniche are not only from Jeddah but also come from different regions of the Kingdom and the Gulf countries to enjoy the weather on the western coast. These visitors, most of them Umrah pilgrims, are basically in Jeddah on their way to or from Makkah. Muhammad Sulaiman, Khalid Al-Ghamdi and Ahmed Al-Zahrani said summer vacation coinciding with Ramadan provided them with an opportunity to take Iftar at the Northern Corniche in Jeddah in a warm family atmosphere that they have longed for throughout the year. Ahmed Al-Fezai' came with his family from Al-Ahsa to perform Umrah and enjoy the magnificent atmosphere at the Corniche. He called on the concerned authorities to give more attention to the Corniche. Ibrahim Ghanim, Sa'eed Salim and Ali Abdullah from Jizan came to the Corniche after performing Umrah with their families. They described the atmosphere at the Northern Corniche as splendid especially since they were taking Iftar for the first time on the beach. Muhammad Al-Harbi, a restaurant owner, said: “Ramadan is different this year. It makes us recall the old days 20 years ago when many families used to come to the Corniche to break their fast. I still remember times when the restaurant used to be full of customers.” Apart from this there are financial commitments that do not permit a person to spend on recreation and buy food from restaurants and food outlets, he added. Waleed Al-Hayek, manager of a restaurant at the Corniche, said they had made ample preparations before Ramadan in anticipation of the great rush here. “We changed the décor and made additions to give it a Ramadan atmosphere. We also tried to provide a variety of dishes and increase the number of workers and tables. We introduced special Ramadan dishes as well,” he said. Many of Jeddah residents and visitors are keen to spend the night at the Corniche and take the last meal (Suhoor) by the sea. Most of the restaurants provide their services to suit local customs and traditions. – Okaz __
