Okaz/Saudi Gazette

HARAZAT is a sprawling residential neighborhood southeast of Jeddah. It has witnessed remarkable growth in population and business activities in recent years. But the district lacks basic services including a first-aid center, a police station, sewage network and parks.

Gharman Bin Aun, a resident, emphasized the need to establish a police station to help prevent crimes and illegal activities in the district.

“We also need a Saudi Red Crescent outpost to provide urgent first-aid services to accident victims. A large number of accidents take place on the road linking Harazat with the Kilo 14 area on Makkah Road,” he explained.

A narrow exit near the rainwater dam obstructs the smooth flow of vehicles, Aun said. “The municipality has put cement blocks near the exit and this led to many accidents,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Aun also referred to the municipality’s negligence in removing garbage from the streets. “The district is not connected to the water supply network and the residents depend on tankers for drinking water. The presence of a large number of water tankers is also obstructing the flow of traffic,” he explained.

The residents said another nagging problem they faced was the frequent power outages. Okaz/Saudi Gazette during a tour of the district witnessed a trader switching on the headlights of his car to lit up his showroom during a blackout.

Aboud Al-Zubaidi complained about traffic jams caused by water tankers parked on either side of the roads inside the district. Traffic bottlenecks are common at intersections in Kilo 11, Kilo 13 and Kilo 14 areas because tanker drivers exploit the absence of traffic police.

“Every day I travel by the Old Makkah Road to downtown Jeddah for work and to drop my kids at school. I see a large number of tankers coming from Harazat in violation of the time schedule set for them by the traffic police,” he said and urged the authorities to punish tanker drivers who violate the rules.

Ali Al-Ghamdi asked the municipality to illuminate the streets in all parts of the district and remove speed bumps from places where they are no longer required. “We however need more such bumps near the football ground, petrol stations and schools,” he added.

Ali Al-Zahrani urged the municipality to take care of the district’s entrance on the eastern side by asphalting the road and installing streetlights to reduce pressure on the other entrances.

“The municipality should asphalt the road linking Harazat with Hijrah Road, east of Jeddah. This will reduce traffic congestion at the main entrance,” he added.

Sultan Al-Qarni called upon the municipality to establish a park in the district to help families enjoy their weekends and holidays with children. The park should be provided with games for children, a football ground and a jogging area, he said while speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette.