JEDDAH: The days of manual car washes at fuel stations and service centers could soon be over as Saudi municipalities have begun actively licensing and enforcing the transition to automatic car wash systems.
The Permanent Executive Committee for Fuel Stations and Service Centers at the Ministry of Energy says existing businesses can continue manual operations only until their current licenses expire, after which they must have automated systems in place to operate.
The move comes in the context of raising efficiency and the speed of the service, in addition to reducing water and energy consumption. The automated systems rely on recycling and quantity control technologies, which reduces waste and promotes sustainability, in addition to improving safety within stations and raising operational efficiency.
The decision represents the end of an era that began with the introduction of cars in the 1920s when washing was practiced in simple ways.
With the spread of cars in the 1950s and ’60s, hand-washing vehicles became an essential service, before transforming in the 1970s and ’80s into a widespread commercial activity within neighborhoods and gas stations.
