Saudi Gazette report BURAIDAH — Security has become a great concern for auto showroom owners in Buraidah. They are concerned that in the absence of police patrols and security guards their showrooms are susceptible to thieves at night. They feel that private guards employed by them are not sufficient to protect their vehicles. At 100,000 square meters, the automobile showroom area in the city is one of the largest in the Kingdom. It has new and used cars showrooms, and sees a large influx of buyers on weekends. The area has considerably expanded during the past few years, needing more space for an organized flow of traffic, according to a report in Al-Sharq newspaper. The owner of one of the most prominent car showrooms in Qassim, Muhayya Al-Etaibi, believes that there should be a dedicated area for car showrooms, where all necessary government bodies are represented. It should be secured and patrolled by police and monitored by the Civil Defense, he said. He said cars in these showrooms are worth millions of riyals and the owners have been left to manage their security themselves. He added that traffic police should also be available in the area, especially during Thursdays and Fridays, to organize the influx of buyers thronging the market from all over the Kingdom. He said that the Civil Defense should also be present as these showrooms and streets are overly-crowded with cars, which can be time-bombs in case of fire. Buraidah City Council chief Dr. Hamad Al-Ghunaim said that the council has contributed to the development and organization of the car showrooms area. The economic committee of the council has studied and reviewed ideas to develop the area and has prepared a number of recommendations to be presented to concerned authorities. These include increasing street lighting, the establishment of a police station and Civil Defense center, increasing directional signs and providing space for insurance companies. The recommendations also include removing old cars from parking spaces, separating small cars showrooms from those for trucks and heavy equipment and fencing the entire area.
