The Gulf states have taken the flu threat seriously, none more than Saudi Arabia. But according to this story in the Bahrain Tribune, not everyone is cooperating: Live poultry still on sale. Excerpt:
While 80 per cent shops of live poultry have been closed in Riyadh, many are still open in Jeddah, Makkah and Dammam despite the end of the grace period.
"Of the 353 shops operating in the Riyadh city limits, 80 per cent have closed," Riyadh Municipality general environmental health department general manager Soliman Al Buthi, told The Saudi Gazette.
Jeddah Municipality media department head Ahmed Al Ghamdi said, "We are implementing the Cabinet decision, but it will take time to cover all shops in a city like Jeddah.”
Most north Jeddah shops have abided by the Cabinet decision. Some have started installing refrigerators for storing the daily sale of freshly-slaughtered poultry. But those in the south are yet to close down, the municipality’s markets control director Najm Bashir said.
"Our plan is to deploy patrols to stop all trucks carrying live poultry. We confiscate trucks and seize the poultry. We stopped issuing licences four years ago. But some shops are still violating the order. Workers there slaughter poultry after the Fajr prayer till 7am.”
According to officials, the Jeddah Municipality has informed its branches to shut down the shops. Many shopowners have sought more grace period. “We prefer to give them more time to end their contracts with poultry dealers.”
Egyptian worker Ahmed Farouk at a poultry shop in Jeddah said no one came and asked him to close his shop. "My employer asked me to keep on working till he receives an official notification.”
