Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Authorities have started removing concrete barriers around residential complexes and some government buildings in the wake of a halt in terrorist related threats, Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learnt from sources. Barriers around three major buildings in central and western Jeddah, including the Ministry of Interior building on Madinah Road and the Saudi Arabian Airlines Building in Khalediyyah, have already been removed. These concrete barriers had been laid a few years ago for security reasons. However, a committee, comprising representatives of several agencies including the Traffic Department, police and the Jeddah Municipality, recommended that these should be removed in the wake of disappearance of the causes for which they were erected. Moreover, the committee also found that these barriers constitute obstruction to smooth flow of traffic and affect the beauty of public places. The committee recommended that administrative departments of government agencies and residential compounds shall be instructed to remove them, and in case of non-compliance, the Jeddah Municipality removes them and the charges are taken from the concerned parties. The sale of concrete barriers witnessed an increase during the past years as security bumpers were placed around several government and private buildings following terrorist threats. Riyadh emerged top in the number of these concrete barriers followed by the western and eastern regions respectively. Security barriers were erected around residential compounds where most of the Western expatriate communities live in addition to the compounds of security forces as well as that of embassies and consulates. The most important among them in Jeddah was the American Consulate in Jeddah, which was a target of terrorist operations in the past.
