Amr Salam Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Several gas distribution center owners in Jeddah have attributed the cause behind the gas cylinder shortage during Eid Al-Fitr Holidays to the new valve attached to the cylinders. The owners said most people prefer cylinders with the old valve and that is how the crisis started. Khalid Al-Saimari, a gas store owner, said gas distributors sometimes provide centers with cylinders that have new valves and sometimes with cylinders in old valves. This caused a problem in many centers that did not know what to do with the cylinders with new valves. Most consumers claim the new valve is less efficient than the old one in terms of the amount of gas it emits from the cylinder. They added that the old valve allows a larger amount of gas to reach oven burners. This, in itself, lengthens the cooking time. Al-Sumair noted that although the new valves are safer than the old ones, customers prefer the older model. Khaldoon Suwaidan, a Saudi, said he had to go to various centers searching for cylinders with older valves. Fuad Al-Ghamdi, a restaurant owner, said he prefers the older valves as well as he feels that they are more user-friendly than the new ones.
