JEDDAH — Seventeen cemeteries in Jeddah are suffering from negligence and many of them do not have fences to protect the graves from scavenging animals, residents told Al-Madinah newspaper. Residents claim that the graveyards are not easily accessible and there are no signboards to indicate their exact locations. They said some philanthropists have voluntarily erected billboards showing the locations but these signboards are only seen when you are few meters away from the location. Abdul Malik Al-Junaidi, chairman of Jeddah municipal council, said the council's services committee is paying attention to the protection and upkeep of the cemeteries. He said when the council receives any complaint regarding any of the cemeteries in the city, it will immediately check the cemetery concerned and report to the municipality. The municipality said it had signed a number of contracts to fence and maintain the graveyards and the places where bodies are washed. Abdullah Al-Samadani, a Saudi, said it was very difficult to remember the roads leading to the Briman cemetery unless visitors are familiar with the area. “Some citizens have erected signboards showing the location of the cemetery but still it is not easily recognizable,” he said. Saeed Al-Harbi, another citizen, said there are not enough parking lots in any of the graveyards. He said even the cars carrying dead bodies will have difficulty getting through or finding a parking place at the gate of the cemetery. Khaleel Al-Mihmadi said at first glance the cemetery along the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway seems like an empty piece of land waiting for real estate developers. “You will only discover that it is a graveyard when you get very close to it,” he said. Al-Mihmadi asked the municipality to take good care of the cemeteries and said they are places for honoring the dead ones and therefore should not be left neglected. Ali Al-Yafie said when a funeral procession arrives at the Al-Kandara 1 cemetery, all the streets in the neighborhood will be blocked because of the congestion. He called for providing enough parking areas around the graveyard so that residents will not suffer. Waleed Al-Oufi said the problem with the Al-Faisaliyah graveyard is that it is located in the heart of a residential district and close to shopping malls. “When there is a funeral, all the streets will be blocked and the motorists will have to wait until the burial ceremony is over,” he said.
