A closure notice as seen Wednesday at one of the quarries east of Al-Haramain Expressway in Jeddah. — Okaz photo

By Ahmed Al-Sulami
Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The city authorities have ordered an immediate closure of 11 quarries for violating regulations to protect the environment.

Over half a million citizens, facing serious health hazards from dust, heaved a sigh of relief as inspectors swooped down on the erring quarries in the Braiman Complex east of Al-Haramain Expressway Wednesday and ordered their closure.

Samir Basabrain, Chairman of the Anti-encroachments Committee in Jeddah governorate, said the closure of these quarries has come in line with the directives of Governor Prince Misha’l Bin Majed.

He added that the committee has stopped the work of the quarries due to their negative effects on the environment and public health.

Basabrain said the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources recently carried out an inspection tour of 23 sites, out of which 11 were found to have violated the health conditions.

Since the beginning of the current year, the committee has impounded 74 machinery violating work conditions besides restoring other encroached sites estimated to cover an area measuring eight million sq. meters.