Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Female employees of the Education Affairs are complaining about the ramshackle state their office building is in. An employee at the building said she and her co-workers are constantly living in fear as the building is dilapidated to the point that it could collapse any moment. "There is no one that comes around for maintenance. The building is the worst work environment one can imagine. The building is rundown and is vulnerable to fire. The employees do not feel safe and fear for their lives on a daily basis," said the employee. She said the building constantly has electric faults, which result in fires. "All the employees are women who cannot carry out heavy tasks of saving the files and other valuables in the instance of a fire. Needless to say, the hygiene of the building is very low and we are risking our health by showing up to work every day," said the employee. She also said there is no proper ventilation in the building and the rooms are crammed. The whole building is not suitable to be an office, she added. "The toilets are unusable. They are unsanitary and the doors have no locks. The last time we had a fire, it was caused by the gas ovens in the building. The directorate's solution was to take away all kitchen appliances and the oven," said the employee. Jeddah Education Affairs Director Abdullah Al-Thaqafi said the directorate chose the building due to its ideal location. "The building is in good condition and it is located in the city center. It is easy to commute to and is surrounded by many shops and services. It may be in need of maintenance and renovation. The directorate is currently reviewing the state of the building," said Al-Thaqafi.
