It seems that the business interests of restaurant owners are more important than the health and safety of their diners. There is a ferocious campaign against some of Jeddah Municipality officials who shut down a number of restaurants that violated health and safety regulations. It appears that the campaign is led by restaurant owners and supported by certain figures in the business and tourism field. The campaign is calling for the municipality officials to be referred to the Bureau of Investigations and Prosecution for violating regulations and committing crimes. Those behind the campaign say the municipality has violated its own regulations and has not gradually imposed penalties. In other words, the municipality should have imposed penalties on the restaurants before naming and shaming them in the media. Whether the municipality can stave off this campaign and justify its actions depend on the legal position it has taken and popular public support for what it has done. The majority of the public were happy when the municipality announced the names of the restaurants in the media. People were glad and commended the municipality for being so strict. The municipality, in people's opinions, took the right decision and closed down restaurants that failed to keep their premises clean, store food properly, ensure workers comply with the Kingdom's laws and follow proper food preparation health guidelines. All of these violations pose a big risk to the health of members of the public. Most people are oblivious to these dangers and do not know anything about the condition of the place where the food they eat is prepared. Those who are angry at the municipality's actions should realize that people's health is precious. When it comes to health risks, people should not call for penalties to be gradually applied. Supporting and helping violators in their campaign is tantamount to colluding with them and encouraging corruption.
