Makkah

GATES of different cities clearly reflect the area's history, possessions and the things it is famous for. Coastal cities are always proud of their beaches, snails and fish, and the same applies to historical cities that highlight their historical monuments and heritage.

In fact, the interior of Madinah, which has a special historical age and high rank among the cities, does not reflect this valuable status to those who visit it, unfortunately; it is devoid of signs that welcome visitors, as well as aesthetic figures at the main gates of the city and even in the streets!

I am well aware that there were advertisements about approvals to build the gates of Madinah, which were announced long time ago. It's worthy of mentioning that these gates will be compatible with the nature of Madinah and will provide multiple services for visitors. The project consisted of five gates and construction of three was supposed to begin soon. But people have not seen any progress and the city has remained without gates and the entrances are in a deplorable condition.

This topic has been repeatedly raised and the demands of gates for the holy city have been brought up many times, to reflect an image, to those who enter the city, full of joy when they see the Prophet's (pbuh) achievements and biography and how these have been embodied in a creative manner reminiscent of the history.

It is regrettable that the visitor would enter the city of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him and not see anything immediately that reflect the sentimental value of the city. Even sometimes people ask: Have we arrived at Madinah yet?

The city was chosen as the capital of Islamic tourism for the year 2017. It was supposed to be part of the tourist planning to create multiple services in the portals such as providing maps of the city or the province and establish tour guides to places that the visitors can go during their stay. This is the type of active tourism that we wish people plan for in reality.

The current situation is truly regrettable. You arrive in the city and you do not find a sign that welcomes you and suggests that you are about to enter that place. This does not serve tourism and does not attract tourists of course.

The Madinah Development Authority initiated and designed the project (I hope it's done). And I wish it were agreed upon in coordination with the Ministry of Interior in this regard, so that gates can serve their beautifying roles in addition to the security aspect. I also wish to have modern electronic services that keep pace with the technological progress of the world, and use modern technology with screen displays and the like according to modern-day data.

It is surprising that the security center is absent in the most important entrance to the city, which is the entrance to Makkah and Jeddah, where it was removed without an alternative and with a very ugly detour to make the entrance more distorted and in poor condition.

And what is worse is allowing the shops to sell hookahs at the entry borders of the city, which is an insult. This was already an issue in the eastern entrance (old airport), where the first thing that people entering the area saw was scattered coffee shops. The question asked was, is this really appropriate for the Holy city of Madinah and the position it occupies!

The tourism authority is required to activate its role; when citizens and residents visit a city or province they find themselves in an enviable position; not knowing where they are or with no idea of what the historical archaeology is, and also completely without knowledge of the touristic and entertainment facilities too. The reason is the unavailability of a welcoming gate that provides the tourist with all the needs in terms of informational guidance, and the result is turning them into a prey for stalkers or traffickers.

It is hoped that we will find a portal that welcomes us, and aspires to be modern and effective so that it contains electronic plates and provides guidance and dissemination of facts and maps to people, both manually and electronically. The gates of cities are an urgent demand, especially in light of the trend to stimulate tourism in our country that receives millions every year. It's the awaited dream that every beloved person of this country wishes and aspires for. So will it ever be achieved?