In a move aimed at promoting sustainable urban development and supporting the local economy, the Jeddah Municipality signed a strategic tripartite cooperation agreement on Thursday with the Street Vendors Support, Development, and Empowerment Team at the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and the Majid Bin Abdulaziz Society for Development and Social Services. This agreement comes as part of a broader initiative underway in the Kingdom to regulate the informal sector and integrate it into the formal economy.

Details of the agreement and its parties

The signing ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials, including His Excellency Mayor Saleh Al-Turki, representing the Jeddah Municipality; Her Royal Highness Princess Najoud bint Hathloul bin Abdulaziz, General Supervisor of the Street Vendor Support and Development Program, representing the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing; and Baraa Al-Abdi, Executive Director of the Majid Society. This partnership reflects the integration between the government and non-profit sectors to achieve the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 regarding citizen empowerment and improving quality of life.

Goals that go beyond traditional organization

The objectives of this agreement are not limited to simply identifying sales locations, but extend to include a comprehensive vision for empowering street vendors through:

• Providing a safe and orderly environment: Allocating equipped sites that ensure the safety of both vendors and consumers.
• The shift towards institutional work: helping vendors develop their businesses so that they can eventually transition from street vendors to owners of stable commercial establishments, thus promoting small business entrepreneurship.
• Addressing visual distortion: Eliminating the haphazard nature of sales that negatively affects the city's aesthetics, and replacing it with civilized models that are consistent with Jeddah's urban identity.

Developmental context and economic impact

This initiative comes at a time when the Kingdom is giving considerable attention to the "quality of life" file and addressing visual pollution in major cities. Regulating the work of street vendors is a fundamental pillar in transforming the informal economy into a formal economy that contributes to the gross domestic product. Instead of pursuing vendors, modern strategies focus on integrating and training them, creating formal job opportunities for citizens and reducing unemployment rates, while simultaneously ensuring consumer protection through oversight of the goods offered.

Areas of cooperation and training

According to the terms of the agreement, work will proceed along several implementation tracks, including:

• Establishing precise regulatory controls and standards for the activity.
• Implementing intensive training programs for salespeople in the areas of public health, food safety, and marketing and sales skills, to ensure the provision of a professional service.
• Launching awareness workshops and community initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of supporting this sector.

Towards smart and sustainable cities

In keeping with technological advancements, the agreement focuses on developing innovative solutions that align with the requirements of smart cities, as well as conducting regular field studies to measure the social and economic impact of these initiatives. Specialized exhibitions and events will also be organized, allowing vendors to showcase their products in a competitive and attractive environment, thus boosting the income of productive families and ambitious young Saudis.

The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia issued its daily weather report for today (Friday), indicating that the Kingdom's atmosphere will be affected by a state of atmospheric instability encompassing large areas of the country. The center predicted thunderstorms ranging from moderate to heavy, which may lead to flash floods in valleys and ravines, accompanied by hail and strong winds that will stir up dust and sand.

The detailed report indicated that rainfall would be concentrated primarily in parts of Al-Baha, Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Qassim, and Hail regions, in addition to the Northern Borders and Eastern Province. The center warned that surface winds associated with these thunderstorms could cause a significant reduction in horizontal visibility, sometimes to near-zero visibility in open areas and on highways, necessitating caution from drivers.

In a related context, the center indicated that the rain area will extend to parts of Al-Jawf, Tabuk, Asir, and Jazan regions, where light rainfall is expected. These forecasts are part of the weather fluctuations the Kingdom experiences during seasonal transitions, as the region is affected by low-pressure systems that contribute to the formation of cumulonimbus clouds and rain.

These warnings are of paramount importance given the diverse geography of the affected areas, which include densely populated regions such as the capital, Riyadh, and Mecca, as well as agricultural and desert regions. Such weather alerts are typically accompanied by calls from the General Directorate of Civil Defense urging citizens and residents to stay away from floodplains and wadis, to avoid crossing wadis while they are flowing, and to adhere to safety instructions disseminated through official media outlets.

This report reflects the ongoing efforts of the National Center of Meteorology to monitor and track weather phenomena using the latest technologies and satellites, with the aim of providing accurate information that contributes to protecting lives and property, and helps the concerned authorities to take the necessary measures to deal with heavy rainfall and its potential impacts on infrastructure and traffic.