Adel Zamzami, the head of the Civil Defense in Makkah, has said that a specialist team will be set up by the beginning of the summer holidays to check safety standards at games and amusement centers, istiraha rest houses and public recreation areas. The committee team, Zamzami said, will have representatives from the Civil Defense, the Mayor's Office and various other official departments. “The sites to be checked will include tourist and recreation sites, and any places found in breach of safety standards will be closed down or fined,” Zamzami said. The Civil Defense chief also urged amusement parks to contract only approved companies for the periodical checking of the safety and maintenance of rides. In March of this year a seven-year-old died while on a water train ride at a Jeddah shopping mall amusements area, and concern increased the following month when a 14-year-old child died after entering a swimming pool unsupervised at King Fahd Coastal City in Jeddah. A range of concerns over supervision and safety measures were sparked by both incidents.
