JEDDAH – Bab Sharief, which is part of Jeddah's historic region and one of the eight gateways to the old city, still remains a disorganized and polluted residential neighborhood. Bab Sharief is a symbol of contradictions despite its historical significance. "The invigorating aroma from the perfume market in the nearby the Gold Street is mixed with bad smell that emerges from garbage accumulated along its streets," said one resident highlighting the district's contradictions. A huge swamp in the center of the district has worsened the situation. It has been polluting the district for the past four years but the municipality did not take any action, he added. Residents are also afraid of electric shock as high voltage electric lines pass through the district in a haphazard manner, threatening public safety. The Saudi Electricity Company has not yet taken any action to protect the residents from potential danger. Residents have called upon the municipality to remove garbage from streets as quickly as possible to protect residents from pollution and infectious diseases. Abdullah Qayed decried the deteriorating condition of Bab Sharief. "The municipality did not take any action to fill a huge swamp in the middle of the district," he said, adding that it has been breeding disease-carrying mosquitoes for many years. "The problem started when a businessman tried to construct a building in the site. When digging work started ground water gushed out. Unable to stop the outflow of water, they stopped the project," Qayed told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. He believed that the swamp would endanger the lives of residents and passerby. "My leg was broken when I fell into that swamp once," Qayed said. The digging work also damaged water pipeline network and stopped supply to several residential buildings in the district. Qayed urged the municipality to fill the swamp immediately and impose a fine on the businessman for causing the problem and ask him to pay for the cost of filling the swamp. Adnan Ahmed criticized the municipality for its negligence toward Bab Sharief. "Accumulation of garbage along the perfume street has been disgusting. This shows that the cleaning workers were not doing their job properly. Instead of removing garbage they utilize their time for begging," he added. Ahmed urged the municipality to take quick action to end the district's troubles. "Bab Sharief is part of Jeddah's historical region and we hope the municipality would give proper care and attention to this district," he pointed out. Khaled Al-Sudani cautioned the public about high-voltage power lines that pass by the district, adding that it could cause electric shock and endanger people's lives. "The Saudi Electricity Company should take immediate steps to protect the public from the danger posed by these cables," he added. "It seems the SEC is waiting for a fatal accident to occur." Zakariya Mohammed also expressed his anguish over the poor condition of Bab Sharief, which receives a large number of visitors and shoppers every day. "It's unfortunate that the municipality did not take any action to fill the swamp in the middle of the perfumes market," he added.
