The governor of the holy city of Madina, Prince Faisal bin Salman, is following up on all arrangements made by government bodies in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan. He emphasized the need for all services offered to be at the most decent and suitable level, and worthy of the city of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the holiness of this city and its status in the hearts of all Muslims, a local publication reported.

Government bodies in direct contact with citizens and visitors include the secretariat of Madinah, the health affairs department, the traffic department, the water company and the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques.

The secretariat of Madinah provides all the capabilities for the comfort of visitors and guests of the Prophet’s Mosque. The mayor of Madinah explained that the secretariat took it upon itself to guarantee the safety of visitors and their surrounding environment, and to make sure that this environment is free of all forms of pollution without compromising the level of services offered to all, taking into consideration the increasing commercial activity and the number of visitors.

He said labor and equipment were increased by 30 percent, in addition to the extensive field tours conducted to check on markets and shops in terms of health issues with the coordination of other related government bodies. Every sub-municipality will implement its plans and the secretariat has also formed teams and committees to conduct inspection tours to ensure the quality of goods and commodities, and to restaurants to check on hygiene and the safety of food offered in accordance with the applicable health regulations.

Regarding traffic preparations, Brig. Nawaf bin Nahis Al-Mohammadi, director of Madinah Traffic Department, said: “We have prepared more than one traffic plan in Madinah for the central area around the Prophet’s Mosque where movement of traffic will be at its peak, especially during prayers. In addition, we put in place a road map for the commercial markets where traffic density is at its maximum before sunset and most of the streets are congested.”

On the issue of water, Saleh Jablawi, the director general of the Water Directorate in Madinah, said all preparations are complete.

“We have a large reserve of water with continuous supply to all neighborhoods in and for the central area surrounding the Prophet’s Mosque where the big hotels are located.  We call on citizens and visitors not to waste water, as this is one of the things our religion has warned against.”

[Source: Arab News]