JEDDAH: Residents of south Jeddah districts neighboring an area that has become a collecting ground for garbage have urged the authorities to act quickly on a request from the Emir of Makkah for an “urgent report” on the issue. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of the Makkah Region, made the request to the Jeddah Mayor's Office in response to a media report on complaints from the public at what they describe as a “health and environment disaster” in the area that has become known as the “Iskan Dump”. Locals in the Iskan District and the neighboring Al-Amir Fawaz and Al-Sanabil districts say that the mayoralty has failed “for too long” to tackle the situation. “It has led to the place becoming a complete garbage dumping ground and to some illegal foreign workers using it to collect materials,” they said. “Large numbers of them now live in the middle of the area and do things that are a threat to the environment and public health.” Locals have appealed not just to the mayoralty to act swiftly on the request of Prince Khalid but also to bring in police. “They should be coming in to detain them and deport them back to their home countries,” they said. “They pose a security threat by gathering in large groups and rummaging through the garbage and sometimes setting fire to it.” Sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras has instructed a deputy to draw up a report and that the mayoralty intends to work with the local municipality to take appropriate measures and “stop the dumping of waste in the area” by closing off entrances and walling off the rest of the site.
