Riyadh: With a steady increase in temperature in most parts of the kingdom, including the capital Riyadh, many expatriate families have started leaving for their homes ahead of their summer holidays, in order to escape the heat of the scorching sun.
Those who have already left include hundreds of families from Europe and America. An overwhelming majority of expatriates await their turn over the coming few weeks at the end of the school examinations.
Saudi national families will also join them once the schools close within two weeks, after the commencement of annual public examinations for intermediate and secondary schools which started yesterday.
Hundreds of international schools run by foreign communities will also close for summer early next month.
Medical experts warned the public against the dangers of excessive heat exposure. Professor Hussain Al Qah'tani, head of neurology at the National Guard Hospital in Jeddah, cautioned against being directly exposed to the sun's rays over the coming days when temperatures are expected to rise up to 50 degree Celsius in some parts of the kingdom.
Additionally, Saudi authorities have decided to limit working hours, during the day, effective from next year.
Decree
The Minister of Labour Dr Gazi Al Gosaibi last week issued a decree preventing companies from making their employees work from noon until 3pm, from July through the end of August, starting 2011.
The decree exempts those who work in the petroleum and gas industry and in the emergency maintenance and repairs divisions. The ministry, however, said measures must be taken to protect these workers from the heat, too.
The ministry warned companies and organisations that they would risk being fined, shut down or both if they failed to implement the decision.
The ministry added that the move is in line with international labour laws to protect workers and provide them with a safe and healthy working environment.
This is the first time Saudi Arabia has issued such a decree. Other GCC countries have policies in place to limit the amount of time workers are supposed to spend in the heat. The UAE, for example, recently extended its midday break period into the month of September.
According to devices set up in various parts of Riyadh, the temperature ranges between 47 and 49 degrees Celsius these days. On a tour to a number of areas in the city, Gulf News saw several construction workers working under the scorching sun.
Street vendors, meanwhile, are cashing in on the summer heat. These vendors, mainly expatriates, are visible at almost all traffic signals and interjections of major roads and streets, selling cold water bottles.
