DAMMAM: High winds whipping up dust and sand swept across the Eastern Province Thursday prompting the Border Guard to ban small vessels from putting to sea. Many crews of larger boats have chosen to remain at shore out of safety concerns. “A lot of boats have stayed in port, concerned for the safety of their crews and the high chance of breakdowns and malfunctions if they put to sea,” one fisherman said. Waves began reaching dangerous heights early Thursday morning, said fisherman Hussein Aal Talib, and many feared conditions were going to worsen. “Fishermen aren't anywhere near as concerned about dust levels as they are about the strong winds which have led to a lot of engine breakdowns at sea,” he said. Radha Al-Fardan said that “hundreds of vessels” had remained moored since Wednesday. “We're waiting impatiently to get back to sea,” he said. The Border Guard order, which applies to vessels of between four and 10 meters in length, came into effect Thursday, was accompanied by an alert to all rescue services to be at the ready for emergency calls. The Border Guard also appealed to any fishermen venturing out to remain in constant contact with the authorities and ensure their vessels are supplied with all the correct safety and emergency equipment on board. A freight train breakdown on the coastal road between Dammam and Al-Khobar, meanwhile, briefly held up traffic Thursday. Muhammad Abu Zaid of Saudi Railways blamed the malfunction on a rear carriage. “Maintenance teams dealt with the situation straight away and traffic returned to normal,” he said. Abu Zaid added that the train system would not be affected by the high winds and dust which are forecast to continue across the Eastern Province Friday.
