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Makkah Environment Highlights Dangers of Open and Abandoned Wells in Conjunction with World Drowning Day

Manahi Al-Qurashi - Jeddah

Date Published: July 23, 2026 22:48 KSA

Coinciding with World Drowning Day, which falls on July 25 of each year, the branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Makkah Region organized an awareness workshop at the branch headquarters in Dallah Tower in Jeddah Governorate, attended by the Assistant Director General for Support and Empowerment, Engineer Hani bin Hamoud Al-Maimouni, to raise community awareness about the dangers of abandoned and open wells.

The workshop was implemented by the Support Services Department - Support and Assistance Division (Employee Care), with the participation of the Control and Compliance Department, and in cooperation with Andalusia Hospital Jeddah, in the presence of a number of specialists and officials of the branch and its offices in the governorates.

The specialists explained during the workshop the importance of cautious handling of abandoned and open wells, pointing out that they pose a danger to public safety, especially during the summer when many people picnic on the outskirts of cities and governorates. They also reviewed the requirements obligating well owners to implement the necessary technical requirements to ensure they are not left open, as well as the mechanism for dealing with drowning cases and the initial first aid steps that help rescue the injured and reduce complications.

The Director General of the branch, Engineer Walid bin Ibrahim Al Daghis, affirmed that the branch receives reports via the unified communications system 911 and the Ministry's "Baligh" system for immediate handling, indicating that the Ministry obligates well owners to install a fence and a concrete neck around the well. In the absence of the owner, the Ministry, in cooperation with the competent authorities, undertakes to backfill it and remove the danger it represents to preserve community safety.