120 eateries shut down for want of safety standards

The campaigns initiated by the Jeddah Municipality recently found 120 restaurants in violation of health and safety standards, according to sources at the Saudi Consumer Protection Association.
Following reports of several cases of food poisoning, the Jeddah mayoralty health inspection teams shut down over 120 restaurants in steps to monitor the food market and consumer services.
Citizens and residents appreciated that the authorities are tightening their grip on the offending eateries.
Ahmed Al-Sa’egh who works for a newspaper in Jeddah said that the latest campaign showed the large number of restaurants which were operating in violation of the health and safety specifications.
“This move will work positively in compelling restaurants to follow better health standards as they will fear defamation and closure,” he added.
Mohammed Al-Shahari, a teacher, told Arab News that the best part of the mayoralty’s campaign was publicizing the names of the restaurants so customers know which ones to avoid.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Al-Zahrani appealed to the mayoralty to extend the raids to include bakeries, shops and other food-related sectors.
In a related development, a number of restaurant owners whose eateries faced closure, met with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce to find solutions by paying fines and urged the authorities to stop publicizing the names of their restaurants as it would negatively impact their businesses and reputations.
The restaurant owners expressed displeasure at the closure of their eateries and objected to the mayoralty teams taking notes and photos.