Fatima Muhammad Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Hawkers have always been a disturbing phenomenon on Jeddah streets, especially on the sea front, near mosques and in the downtown area of Balad. Chamber officials and members of the public have asked the municipal authorities to expedite their efforts to organize street sales in order to prevent their negative impact. In Al-Khasikiya area of Balad, vendors could be seen with carts full of top brand biscuits and chocolates with price labels of famous supermarkets stuck on them. These products have close expiry dates, often less than three months. Other carts carry fruit and vegetables and different food items. Ramadan is considered a high season for street shopping and this is not the only place where street vendors cluster. In the Aziziah district, an unauthorized fruit and vegetables market comes alive every evening. Tawfeeq Hasan, a 42-year-old living in the area, said he tends to buy his fruit and vegetables from expatriates selling in streets. He said: “I can't see a difference between these products and those in the supermarkets in quality. I even see that fruit sold here look fresher and are locally cultivated. I wash them well before eating them; that is enough.” Bassam Hadad, a Saudi salesman in Al-Balad, said he welcomed any municipal efforts to organize street vendors. “Street vendors bring the shopping area into standstill. Unfortunately, these people are well connected and have their own ways of contacting each other and hiding before the authorities reach them. Some of them have been surviving in the area for years, and only a few have had their products seized.” Sami Al-Gamdi, head of media at the municipality, said they are working with concerned authorities to organize street selling. He added that they do regular tours and they seize products and then categorize them. Food that is not expired or rotten is given to charity organizations while the rest is thrown away. He noted that during the first half of this year, they seized products from 1,192 carts, 1,497 stalls and 209 vehicles. Nayif Al-Sharif, head of the food and beverages department at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called on the municipality to increase its inspections of different streets of Jeddah. He stated that these street sellers contribute to street congestion during Ramadan. Al-Sharif also noted that they want a speedy implementation for a Saudi initiative to help Saudis sell their products in authorized stalls. He added that they have contacted the municipality to increase the monitoring of the market and implement their suggested initiative of authorizing and Saudizing street stalls. “These sellers select specific spots, especially near mosques, to sell their products. We are not sure about the safety of these products, especially the way they are stored,” added Al-Sharif.
