TAIF – Residential districts of Sail Al-Kabir, a township in Makkah province and the main gateway for Haj and Umrah pilgrims coming from the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, lack basic utility services, including a water network, street lights and asphalted roads. Its people have called upon the authorities to implement development projects required by the township without further delay. Turki Sulaiman Al-Thubaiti said many parts of the township, including its residential districts, have been damaged by torrential floods and need urgent repair works. "Many of these residential districts lack street lights and asphalted roads. You should know that people have been residing in Al-Sail Al-Kabir for more than 30 years," he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette He said the municipality had authorized a company to repair damages caused by floods but the company did not do anything. "We have contacted the municipality several times for this purpose but it did not respond and it shows they have sidelined our districts." Homes of more than 150 citizens have been damaged by floods. "The main road in Al-Sail requires safety signs and speed breakers. The flyover also required expansion in order to avoid recurrent accidents and prevent traffic bottlenecks," he added. Fawaz Muniullah Al-Thubaiti said many districts in the township have not yet received power connection. Khuwairima is one such district, which has about 100 houses without power, and its residents have been calling on the authorities to find a solution to their plight for the last four years, he added. "Development work in Al-Sail Al-Kabir has stopped many years ago. We need sports grounds, parks, recreation centers and an open air Eid prayer ground," he pointed out. Faiz Al-Thubaiti spoke about the township's strategic position as the gateway for pilgrims coming from the east. Qarn Al-Manazil, one of the meeqats (designated places for pilgrims to put on ihram), is located in this township. A large number of pilgrims pass by this area during Ramadan and the Haj season. Mohammed Al-Thubaiti urged the authorities to resolve the water shortage facing residents of Al-Sail Al-Kabir. "We have requested the water department in Taif to provide connections to our houses but nothing has happened so far. We still depend on water tankers to quench our thirst." Sultan Al-Thubaiti drew the attention of authorities toward growing number of accidents on the Taif-Sail-Makkah Road that passes through the township. "We request the authorities to construct a pedestrian bridge over this road to avoid deadly accidents," he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. Hamid Al-Thubaiti called upon the Education Department to open an intermediate school in Al-Sail with 12 classrooms. "We have now three primary schools. But there is only one intermediate and one secondary school, which are overcrowde," he pointed out. Seventy parents have presented a memorandum to open another intermediate school in the town.
