THE ongoing festival in Jeddah's historical area of Balad has disappointed a large number of visitors who have complained of sub-standard hygiene and lack of adequate toilet facilities. The festival, that runs through Jan. 24, is the brainchild of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) which decided to take care of historical area of Jeddah and get it listed by UNESCO as one of its world heritage sites. The area had long been neglected until the SCTA took it upon itself to preserve and showcase the glory of Hijazi traditions and history. Thousands of Jeddawis and city visitors from across the Kingdom and outside have been thronging the festival sites in the Balad area enjoying different cuisines that date back to the historic Hejazi era. However, several visitors Saudi Gazette spoke to expressed their clear annoyance at the lack of essential services for them. It could be due to the large number of people visiting the festival this time around than last year. “Authorities in charge of the festival were apparently not ready for the large number of people visiting the festival,” Noura Foud, a Saudi in her 20s, told Saudi Gazette. “There are not many toilets and all of them are very crowded. Also the volunteers do not know anything and were unwilling to extend a helping hand. Honestly, I liked last year's festival. This year it is very very crowded.” For many visitors enjoying the festival, finding a toilet was a real issue. Dabya Al-Kuwiti, a Saudi visitor, said: “In fact, all Jeddah annual festival events are great. The festival is well-organized and gives a beautiful image of nature and a peep into the lifestyle of the past generation. “But, you cannot have a festival without any negative points. These negatives should be taken care of and a solution is found for the next festival. “The most important issue is the problem of parking. A little effort by the authorities could have resolved the issue.” Several other visitors complained of inadequate bathrooms and the absence of ATMs near the festival site. “The toilet is next to the entrance only, so each time I want to use it I should go back to the entrance,” said Alaa Bawazer, a Saudi visitor in her twenties. Cleanness was a real problem for some females. Dina Abdullah, a Jeddawi, said: “I expected something better from this festival with more activities. The most annoying thing is the cleanliness; the quality of hugiene is very low and bad.” “There are a large number of volunteers, but not many signs for different activities and utilities. I found places incidentally. However, the happy part is that I enjoyed food that I used to eat when I was a child. The delicacies took me back to my old and happier days for a while,” Dina added. The festival's opening was attended by SCTA head Prince Sultan Bin Salman, Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal Bin Majed and Makkah Emir Prince Mishaal Bin Abdullah. The operetta “Your Sun Shone”, written by poet Abdulelah Jada'a, was performed by singers Abdullah Rashad, Talal Safty and Majid Adel.
