By Badr Al-Awad

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

UMM ADDOUM — Umm Addoum is a populated township with 20,000 people under the Mawiya governorate, located north of Taif. Although it is bigger than Mawiya in terms of geographical area, the principality remains poor in terms of municipal and other government services.

Residents of Umm Addoum have lost their faith in government officials for not fulfilling their promises. “You cannot see a decent entrance to the city because of the municipality’s negligence,” said Fahd Al-Dhuwayyan while speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Mohammed Al-Otaibi said the township’s pathways along the streets are in poor condition. “The government should take punitive action against negligent officials,” he added.

Abdul Rahman Thuwaib also stressed the importance of improving the city’s entrance and safeguarding its landmarks to enhance its appearance. “The municipality should install street lights at the city’s entrance and plant trees along its pathways,” he insisted.

Thousands of tourists visit Umm Addoum every year being in the midst of the Kingdom’s east and west and situated along the Hejaz-Madinah Road. “The lack of a Red Crescent Society’s office in the area has caused the death of many road accident victims,” said Thuwaib.

Abdulhadi Al-Ruwaibeh also emphasized the need for a Red Crescent office in Umm Addoum. “We have been calling for the establishment of a Red Crescent office for the last many years. It’s essential to save lives of innocent victims of road crashes,” he said. The nearest Red Crescent office is located in Mawiya about 60 km away.

Mohammed Al-Rouqi urged authorities to respond positively to citizens’ demand. “They should have provided basic facilities and services required by Umm Addoum without putting any outside pressure because it’s a popular resort that attracts a large number of Saudi and foreign tourists and visitors,” he added.

Al-Rouqi said huge trucks have been diverting their route to Umm Addoum to avoid weighing machines on the highway. “We are paying the price for this trend. The number of accidents on the road has increased due to growing number of trucks,” he said.

Umm Addoum and its surrounding villages required necessary public services as it receives a large number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims in addition to tourists and visitors, he explained.