Some of the popular expatriate restaurants that were closed in Jeddah for health violations.

The Jeddah municipality has closed down several popular restaurants in Jeddah’s Aziziah district for not adhering to health and safety standards.

According to expatriates who frequent these restaurants, inspectors shut down Kababish Restaurant, Mehran Restaurant and others for sometime for not keeping their kitchens clean. Some of the restaurants were fined, with stickers pasted on their shutters announcing their closure.

Expatriates have welcomed the municipality’s campaign. “We did not know what we were eating at these restaurants,” said Salma Mehwish, a mother of three, who said they usually visited on weekends. “There is every possibility that they were dishing out stale food,” she said.

Arshad Mohsin, a Pakistani expatriate, said the temporary closures mean the owners were dishonest in an attempt to maximize profits. “They cut corners by mixing different dishes and serving them in the evening and morning,” he said.

“Their bad practices and flouting of rules had to be checked before the advent of Ramadan,” he said. “We congratulate the Jeddah municipality for taking the right decision.”

Rehana Afzal said this would act as a deterrent. “They will think twice before cutting corners and not adhering to safety and hygiene rules in their kitchens. It serves them right.”

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