Makkah (AG/IINA) : The Municipality of Makkah has revealed the extent of its recent work relating to public health and the monitoring of staple food stores in markets during the Hajj season. This step comes within efforts to ensure the safety of all pilgrims and visitors to Makkah and its markets during the busy Hajj season, Arab News reported.

The General Directorate of Environmental Health has formed a number of monitoring committees to monitor the markets, food stores, restaurants, and kitchens, as well as to counter other negative practices in the market. This is being carried out in line with a number of government authorities as well as monitoring committees such as the kiosk distribution committee, nutritional surveillance of food committee, food poisoning committee, food prices committee, sterilization of water tankers committee, the Saudization committee, and the security committee.

These steps will ensure that the best services are being provided to pilgrims, resulting in a healthy environment and a good level of public health in the municipality.

Director-General of Environmental Health Mohammad Hashim Alfotawi said that Makkah Municipality has contracted a number of kitchens, restaurants, sweet shops, and bakeries to provide services during the Hajj season. These were contracted after ensuring that they met all of the requisite health and other requirements.

Alfotawi said there are around 33,000 food shops in Makkah including supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, and so on. There are also 2,000 seasonal shops which are given permits during the Hajj season according to demand.

He added that a monitoring plan has been created to monitor the markets in cooperation with the municipality branches to ensure the professionalism of all shops, the meeting of all health requirements and the safety of workers.