The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has sent official letters to the Civil Defense, Police Department and Saudi Electricity Company to help it enforce orders to shut down hotels and furnished apartments that violate safety requirements and pose dangers to guests. Ahmad Al-Issa, director of the licenses and quality department at SCTA, said: “We found some hotels and furnished apartments that were in violation of safety requirements, besides they did not have licenses to operate the business. The violators should be penalized because the SCTA takes compliance with safety requirements very seriously. We need the help of several governmental agencies to enforce the law.” Over 25 tourist and furnished apartments were shut down recently by the SCTA in Riyadh, Jeddah, Taif and the Eastern Province, Al-Issa added. Before closing down any such apartment building, the SCTA gives the guests a 24-hour notice, Al-Issa explained. The SCTA has made it obligatory for all furnished apartments in the Kingdom's cities and governorates to display the price list in a place where guests and customers can see it. The list should display SCTA phone numbers in case guests have complaints to make, Al
