Visitors to Prince Fahd Bin Sultan Public Park in Tabuk say they are “shocked” by the conditions they find, but insist that there is no alternative in the area for people to “get away and find a change of scene”. “The place is dirty, nobody cleans up. The toilets are clearly not attended to and there's camel and horse muck everywhere,” said visitors Muhammad Al-Shehri and Hussein Makkawi. The public finds itself in constant competition with seemingly stray animals for the facilities at the park, with some owners of camels and horses reportedly using it as grazing ground for their animal to feed off the plants and trees and use its water. Some of the horses are used to give children rides, and the park is popular with families because of its children's play areas. “The place is not what it was,” said one mother. “But we come here for the children because of the slides and climbing frames, and they also like to see the animals.” One horse owner described the summer as a profitable period when he and others can charge five riyals for a 15-minute horse ride. “We've rented rooms for the summer right next to the park, as we have to make the most of the opportunity,” he said. “We have to earn a living like everyone else.” The Deputy Mayor for Municipal Affairs in Tabuk, Ibrahim Al-Ghabban, said that the Mayor's Office was working to improve conditions and facilities at the park. “We've also brought in a trailer to transport stray animals and rid the park of them,” Al-Ghabban said. “I would ask the public to inform us of any complaints they have concerning the park.”
