Badea Abu Al-Naja

Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH – Al-Otaibiyyah Municipality in Makkah confiscated a number of roadside carts used to illegally sell fruit and vegetables. The municipality also arrested street hawkers who violated its regulations as part of a campaign against street vendors.



The municipality razed all unplanned roadside stalls for selling fruit and vegetables and other foodstuffs. All of the stalls were run by illegal expatriates, said Hassan Said Khankar, head of Al-Otaibiyyah Municipality.



He said the operation comes within the sphere of large-scale inspection campaigns targeting hawkers with support from police teams.



Khaleel Dheeb Al-Rouqi, director of administration in the municipality, said 25 carts and over 500 kg of fruit and vegetables unfit for human consumption were confiscated.



He said the municipality constantly monitors selling activities with the aim of stopping illegal vendors from jeopardizing the health of citizens, expatriates and visitors to the Grand Mosque.



Meanwhile, Al-Misfalah Municipality seized large quantities of stolen goods, including scrap iron, used furniture, wooden doors and windows, on Thursday following multiple raids in Hosh Bakr on Al-Mansour Street where violations are rampant.



In a statement, head of Al-Misfalah Municipality Ghazi Al-Harbi said a joint team from the municipality, emergency forces, security patrols and the Traffic Department carried out field inspections in locations where violations have been reported on numerous occasions.



According to Al-Harbi, the raids resulted in the confiscation of 200 tons of scrap iron. The team also seized counterfeit goods and rotten foodstuffs during the operation.