Blankets hung on Riyadh trees to warm the needy

As weather experts predict that this winter will be one of the harshest for Riyadh in years, some residents of a neighborhood in the capital are helping those in need.

A video has gone viral on Twitter showing pictures of blankets hanging on trees in Al-Rayyan district for those in need to keep warm.

Sultan Al-Mousa, who tweeted the video, said he hopes it will encourage more such initiatives.

But as the neighborhood is considered well-off, there has been criticism that the gesture could have had a bigger impact in poverty-stricken areas such as Al-Oud, Al-Bathaa and Manfooha.

“The idea of the initiative should be commemorated, but the placement of the blankets was ill-advised since Al-Rayyan is inhabited by middle-class citizens,” said Riyadh resident Um Yazan.

“The gesture is noble, but there should’ve been some thought beforehand.”