2026/07/22 17:30

The official spokesman of the Eastern Province Municipality told 'Al-Youm' that 45,682 health violations were recorded and 12,859 warning visits were conducted to food establishments, as part of 74,000 intensive inspection tours during the first half of the current year.

Faisal Al-Zahrani, the Director General of the General Administration of Media and the official spokesman of the municipality, explained in an exclusive statement to 'Al-Youm' that these field efforts covered the Dammam metropolis and Al-Bayda Governorate, indicating that the municipality aims through these tours to protect consumer health and enhance food safety levels.

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Al-Zahrani affirmed that the inspection teams carried out 74,547 comprehensive field tours, resulting in the detection of tens of thousands of violations that necessitated taking strict regulatory measures, noting that these measures come within the framework of a relentless pursuit to raise the level of compliance with approved health and municipal requirements.

Food of unknown origin

In a detailed breakdown of the recorded violations, the Eastern Municipality spokesman pointed to the detection of multiple cases related to the handling or sale of food of unknown origin and other expired food for human consumption, adding that the violations also included poor food preservation and storage and failure to adhere to appropriate temperatures to ensure its safety.

Al-Zahrani continued listing field violations, confirming the detection of cases of low general cleanliness in a number of food establishments targeted by inspection campaigns, revealing the registration of violations related to non-compliance of workers in those establishments with health requirements and unsafe food handling. Violations were not limited to operational aspects; Al-Zahrani explained that they also included the use of equipment not conforming to standard specifications and neglect of periodic maintenance of central cooling devices. He mentioned that field teams also detected fundamental structural violations that directly affect food safety and violate preventive procedures.

Spreading health awareness

Regarding the awareness role, Al-Zahrani explained that the municipality allocated 12,859 warning visits out of the total inspection tours to address minor observations and guide establishment owners, stressing that this proactive step contributes to educating owners before resorting to direct penalties. He clarified that warning visits represent one of the most important preventive control tools adopted by the municipality to enhance the concept of voluntary compliance among investors, noting that this wise policy significantly reduces the recurrence of violations and contributes to spreading the desired health awareness.

Faisal Al-Zahrani, Director General of the General Administration of Media and Official Spokesperson of the Eastern Province Municipality

In the context of institutional integration, Al-Zahrani announced the implementation of 20 joint inspection tours in close cooperation with a number of relevant government agencies, confirming that this ongoing coordination aims to integrate oversight roles and enhance the efficiency of field follow-up to ensure establishments' compliance with regulations.

Quality of services provided

He affirmed that the municipality continues working to develop its municipal control system by applying more efficient and effective inspection methods on the ground, noting that this continuous development improves the quality of services provided to beneficiaries and achieves the highest approved safety standards. On the service and economic side, Al-Zahrani revealed to 'Al-Youm' the issuance of 7,744 new licenses for various commercial activities in the region over the past six months, stating that this ongoing achievement comes within the municipality's efforts to facilitate municipal procedures and support commercial movement in the region. The official spokesman concluded by affirming that the development of commercial activities is closely linked to efforts to improve the urban landscape and support comprehensive economic development, indicating that all these initiatives and field plans ultimately contribute to achieving quality of life targets in the Eastern Province.