Eastern Province Municipality steps up visual pollution cleanup, compliance efforts

Eastern Province Mayor Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir on Monday chaired a meeting of the Executive Committee for Visual Pollution Mitigation, attended by representatives from relevant sectors, municipal deputies, general managers, and heads of municipalities.

The committee reviewed the municipality's efforts to improve the urban landscape, monitoring indicators for excavation projects from August 1 to 23, and the results of inspections conducted through the "Adasat Baladi" platform. The meeting emphasized the need for contractors to comply with requirements for temporary barriers and informational and warning signs.

Discussions also covered strengthening partnerships with service agencies and implementing the guidelines for the movement of heavy transport trucks within urban areas to reduce random parking and visual pollution. The municipality recorded 1,392 violations for truck parking in residential neighborhoods in western Dammam between May and August 2026, and monitored 1,141 excavation permits during the same period.

The meeting also reviewed the second phase of the Building Compliance Certificate initiative, launched at the start of 2026, which aims to enhance the reliability of buildings and facilities, reduce visual pollution, and encourage property owners to adhere to municipal regulations and address violations. Efforts to collaborate with the education sector to improve compliance at government facilities were discussed, along with the formation of a joint task force, regular meetings to address challenges, and daily monitoring of progress.

The committee also discussed a project to revive the role of prayer spaces in public areas through mobile modular units, providing suitable places for prayer in parks, waterfronts, pedestrian zones, event venues, and public squares.