Eastern Province Mayoralty shut down over 20 gas stations in Dammam for not improving their services and for failing to keep the premises clean and hygienic although they were given a six-month grace period to do this. Muhammad Al-Sufian, director of public relations, Eastern Province Mayoralty, told Al-Watan Arabic daily that the Mayoralty required all 150 gas stations in Dammam to hire security guards and sign contracts with cleaning companies as well as placing waste containers but 20 gas stations failed to comply with these requirements. “Our inspectors are still carrying out surprise inspections to all gas stations.” Over 528 gas stations were given warnings; 150 in Dammam, 73 in Al-Khobar, 15 in Dhahran, 96 in Al-Qatif, 36 in Al-Jubail, 41 in Al-Khafji, 23 in Abqeeq and 17 in Al-Nairiya, Al-Sufian added. All municipalities are asked to suspend construction and renewal licenses as well as employees' profession licenses for all stations which have not satisfied Mayoralty's requirements, he pointed out. If a gas station's owner applies for a license, he will be asked to meet all the requirements, he added.
