The Emir of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has ordered that telephone numbers publicized in illegal advertisements on street lamp posts and ATM booths in Jeddah be cut off. An official from the Mayor's Office, describing the advertisements as a “violation and an act of contempt for public taste”, said that publicized numbers had been collected and that the “telephone companies were following the Emir's orders.” “Owners of businesses can seek legal permits from the Mayor's Office and operate in accordance with regulations,” the official said. Some 1,500 lamppost and ATM booth advertisements and posters have been removed by the “Friends of Jeddah”, the official added. Some of the ads pasted on ATM booths offered services to help repay bank debts and get new loans within hours. Saudi Gazette called one such phone number, posing as a loan defaulter. It turned out that the number belonged to a car dealer. The person on the line introduced himself as Abu Rakan. “We will give you two cars, which you can sell and repay your debt. Then you can apply for a new loan, and pay us for the cars on lower interest rates,” he said.
