Pleasant weather and cool breezes in the Eastern Province have brought people outdoors with families crowding the seafront areas and parks to take maximum advantage of the change in the climate before the onset of winter. Over the weekend, the seafront areas of Dammam, Al-Khobar, Ras Tanura and Jubail were filled with people jogging or strolling and with families enjoying a picnic. Many expatriate families could be seen in the half-moon beaches and parks at the King Fahd Causeway near the border with Bahrain preparing barbeques in the pleasant weather. Large groups of friends and relatives could be seen sitting on the grass visiting with each other as the gentle breezes ushered in temperatures which were a welcome relief from the long hot summer. The big rush at picnic spots and eating outlets showed that people from other cities were also flocking to the Eastern Province to enjoy the good weather. “I like to come here with my family every evening after finishing my work in the office. I go jogging while my children play,” said Majid Biddah, an Egyptian expatriate. Many of the parks in the Eastern Province have been renovated recently and provided with more play areas and facilities for children. However, because of the large number of people visiting the parks these days, children often have to wait in a long queue in order to use a swing or a slide. “I came here right after the Friday prayer with my family and we will spend the rest of the day here enjoying the good weather. The children are very happy and are enjoying the rides,” said Ameen, an Indian national. Taking full advantage of the crowds, restaurants are doing a roaring business. Happy restaurant owners said that they were enjoying a very high turnout of customers, though some claimed that takeaway orders had increased as customers were opting to take advantage of the good weather by eating outdoors rather than inside the restaurants.
