MAKKAH — The Ghaza Municipality recently launched an inspection campaign targeting unauthorized expatriate street vendors, especially Africans, in the city's underdeveloped areas for selling unhygienic foodstuffs to pilgrims. Hattan Bin Fawaz Al-Hekami, manager of the service department at the municipality, said the campaign was aimed at ending illegal activities in underdeveloped districts of Makkah such as Hafaer, Tayseer and Qeshla, including begging. “We have already arrested 26 street vendors including women belonging to different nationalities and handed over to relevant authorities to take punitive action. We have also seized large amounts of unhygienic food stuffs from these vendors,” said Al-Hekami. Khaled Al-Shanbari, manager of the markets department and head of the campaign, said the move was aimed at preventing distribution of unhealthy food among pilgrims and protect their health. “We have confiscated more than 2,400 kg of contaminated foodstuffs, 1,600 liters of fruit juices made of suspicious sources and 750 pieces of unhygienic cooking utensils.” He said the municipality, under the supervision of its chairman Dr. Walid Bin Bakr Malaybari, has intensified its inspections in areas where pilgrims are accommodated in large numbers, to prevent street vendors from selling unhealthy foodstuffs among the Hajis.
