MAKKAH – Authorities are considering closing down the old factory for bottling Zamzam water in Makkah's Kudai neighborhood, said Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, a high-ranking official in the Makkah Emirate. He said the plan was necessitated due to repeated violations by workers regarding government-issued rules and regulations of purchasing bottled Zamzam water. According to Al-Ghamdi, shutting down the Kudai plant will help authorities put a stop to the common practice of many unauthorized persons selling bottled Zamzam water. He said Makkah Municipality inspectors regularly confiscate bottles that were exposed to direct sunlight and not fit for storing water. Al-Ghamdi warned that many sellers often dilute the holy water with regular tap water. The new Zamzam Water Plant, which was built on orders from King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, strictly enforces rules that prevent tampering with the quality of water. The new plant only gives water to residents who produce government-issued IDs. There is also a cap on the number of bottles each resident can buy. Al-Ghamdi said there was a need to raise awareness among residents and pilgrims on the dangers of buying water from unauthorized sellers. A seller of Zamzam water who spoke on condition of anonymity, said sellers fill up plastic containers with the holy water from the old plant and sell it to residents and pilgrims at low prices. He said the demand for Zamzam increases during the summer and the holy month of Ramadan and added that sellers make an average profit of SR650 every day during Ramadan. — SG
