Closure of Luna Park in Hegira Street in Madinah has left local residents with little entertainment spots to spend during leisure.

Since the Madinah Mayoralty closed the amusement parks in the city two years ago, residents say they have no place to go for fresh air and spend their leisure time during the summer vacation.

Naser Nafe, a local resident, told Arab News that the residents are suffering from a lack of recreational sites. “We are yearning for some open spaces. The only public space we have is King Fahd Park which doesn’t have the amenities of the now closed amusement parks,” he said referring to the theme parks that were scattered around the city.

Families complained of the costly journeys to nearby cities or malls where they go to seek entertainment. However, the Madinah Mayoralty’s closure of Beijan Park, Dorr Al-Madinah and Luna Park entertainment venues have left citizens with no other alternatives.

The parks closed by Al-Madinah mayoralty weren’t renewed or made into new parks. “These areas could have been turned into new parks with new standards but years have passed and these parks are lying unused and in poor condition,” Abdul Hadi Abdullah lamented.

A tour conducted by Arab News to the closed parks of Dorr Al-Madinah in eastern Hurra, Luna Park on the Higra Street and Biegan Park shows how these locations have become wastelands. The green flat areas where palm trees were planted have turned into yellowish bins for trash and shattered glass. The locks in the parks prevent visitors from going in, and inhabitants are frequently reminded of the lively spaces they used to be.

Fahd Suad recalls memories of the parks tinged with sadness. “It’s been years since we were prohibited from having theme parks,” he told Arab News. “Children are expecting to have fun with their families at this time of the year and there is no where to go,” he added.