RECENTLY, I wrote an article in Makkah, a journal published by the Makkah governorate. In the article, I spoke about jump-starting tourism and my hopes, or dreams, to see Jeddah as a city that has well-paved roads and well-maintained sidewalks that can handle the flow of tourists. I will acknowledge that there are well-constructed sidewalks in many neighborhoods and this is a step worthy of praise and appreciation. But the sidewalks we currently have are not sufficient as strolling or any physical exercise should not be confined to limited places. Such facilities should be made available in all parts of the city similar to what is found in many cities in the developed world. Whenever I set out on a business or leisure trip, the first thing I put in my bag is my jogging suit. On every trip, I enjoy jogging not only because it is a great way to stay in shape but also an ideal way to move about the city and see its landmarks. I know that there are only some people who are really interested in jogging but it is one of the most enjoyable and interesting activities that I have had the pleasure of doing in many Western, Arab and Asian cities. I thought earlier that my hobby was simply a personal one that has so far not received wide acceptability. But gradually I discovered that jogging has become an organized activity that has gained much popularity in several Western cities, including London, Paris, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington. There are also special Internet sites for promoting jogging tours such as cityrunningtours.com and cityjoggingtours.com. Specialized companies organize running tours in different seasons throughout the year. Professional sportsmen organize such trips for individuals and groups. Several companies, which are keen to provide recreation and want to develop healthy habits among their employees, have also joined such trips. Interestingly, my tangible experience was that I did not encounter any problems while jogging in any Western city. I found the pavements clean and interconnected. Motorists are always respectful and extremely committed to the rights of pedestrians, making jogging enjoyable and risk-free. There are networks of pavements for joggers and runners, in addition to tracks for cyclists in most of these cities. But my experience in Arab cities was unpleasant in varying degrees. With regard to pavements, as well as traffic safety and the rights of pedestrians, I can say that the worst experience was in Cairo while Bahrain was relatively better. I have even encountered surprises when I passed recently through the streets of Dubai. Even though drivers respect the rights of pedestrians, the pavements are still unplanned, damaged and broken and quite unsuitable for running tours. Finally, in my beloved city of Jeddah, I feel pity while looking at the dismal state of its pavements. Most of them are not fit for running tours or even walking. Also, motorists are not respectful of the rights of pedestrians or other motorists. My long and varied experience with running tours, prompted me to rate cities not only by their buildings, institutions and infrastructures but by the state of their pavements too. Yes, the condition of pavements in any city is a mirror that reflects the extent of friendship and respect it extends to its people.
