Saudi Gazette report
JEDDAH — As many as 1,590 bodies were buried in 13 cemeteries of Jeddah during the past five months, Al-Madinah Arabic daily reported on Sunday, quoting figures released by the municipality.
The dead consisted of 900 expatriates and 690 Saudis. According to the municipality, an average of 180 expatriates and 138 Saudis die in Jeddah every month.
The municipality said expatriates prefer to bury their dead in certain graveyards. Pakistanis and Indonesians prefer Al-Kandarah cemetery while the Arabs in general opt for Al-Faisaliyah, Al-Ruwais and Al-Assad graveyards.
No non-Muslim was buried in Jeddah during the period, the municipality said.
Yemenis, with 290 dead, constituted the highest number of people buried, followed by 70 Pakistanis, 61 Sudanese and 59 Egyptians.
Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Abdullatif Al-Asheikh last year signed a SR14.5 million contract to improve the conditions of the cemeteries and the facilities for washing the dead.
The 13 cemeteries in Jeddah are Al-Faisaliyah, Al-Assad, Al-Ruwais, Al-Kandarah, Shahir, Bani Malik, Al-Tawfique, Al-Ajwad, Al-Harazat, Briman, Ummena Hawwa, King Abdul Aziz and Dhahban.
According to the figures, 55 Palestinians, 46 Syrians and a Kenyan were buried in Al-Faisaliyah last year.
The municipality said 70 Pakistanis, 24 Afghans and two Sri Lankans were buried in Al-Kandarah while 36 Indians, 21 Ethiopians and seven Lebanese were buried in Al-Assad graveyard.
