Although their business flourishes on happy occasions like weddings, Arabian jasmine (Ful) merchants are always on edge, hearts pounding with concern that their fragile, highly perishable goods may be destroyed and all their capital, and any chance of profit, lost. As a result, they have to act fast and are always in a race against time. Any foot dragging or even a delay of two or three hours and the delicate flowers will be past their prime and no one will buy them. Apart from time, heat is another enemy lying in wait for those selling Ful. The hot climate in the summer poses a great challenge and precautions must be taken if the aromatic white blossoms are not to wilt and wither in the heat. The story of those dealing in Arabian jasmine is one of long tradition and of people with a deep love of the profession and of the fragrant Ful flowers. Ahmad Muhammad Sadqin, 59, was eager to talk about his profession which he inherited from his forefathers and which he started when he was seven years old. Sadqin said he learned about Ful from his father who deeply loved these delicate white flowers despite the many losses he incurred in his business. In spite of these financial setbacks due to the perishable nature of the flowers, his father never thought of looking for another line of work, and, indeed, his passion for the flowers led him to plant many Ful trees in the courtyard of their house. When there was no longer room for more Ful trees at the house, Sadqin's father bought one farm after another planting Ful trees until the end of his days. When he died, the family inherited seven farms, some of which were four to six kilometers long. Sadqin said his father had a large team of workers, who used to spend weeks picking Ful flowers during the harvesting season. The orders used to flow in from different parts of the country. “I used to enjoy the times when we transported the flowers from the farm to the market. It was a race against time, which always took place before sunrise,” Sadqin said. He explained that Ful should not be picked after the sun rises. A Ful farmer should be content with whatever has been harvested before sunrise. That will suffice for the day. Anything in excess of that will be wasted, as the flowers will wilt and cannot be sold. Ful flowers are picked while they are still buds that have not completely opened. If the flowers have opened completely, it is useless to pick them unless they are to be used by individuals or local families. Still talking about his late father, Sadqin said that among the most difficult situations he faced was the ignorance of some workers about how to pick the flowers and transport them with utmost speed to the market. Some of these workers used to cause financial losses for his father. There was, for example, once a driver who did not realize the importance of time for the Ful consignment in his car, which Sadqin's father had rented. After leaving the farm, the driver stopped on the way to the market to take breakfast and tea and relax for some time. When he arrived at the market, the merchant expecting the consignment of flowers returned them to Sadqin's father as the Ful had withered in the heat. The driver should have rushed nonstop to the market while the weather was still cool in the morning, as his car was not air-conditioned nor did it have special refrigeration facilities. This explains how a Ful farmer or merchant can easily lose his profits. Abu Arram and Jizani Ful The case of Abu Arram, an expert on Jizani Ful, exemplifies the deep-rooted passion that some men have for Arabian jasmine. “About 25 years ago,” Abu Arram related, “I worked in an office, but I could not continue in my job because of my passion for Jizani Ful. I tendered my resignation and devoted my time to selling these flowers despite the trade being fraught with high risks of financial loss. Sometimes the flowers disappear from the market especially during the winter when the weather is cold. I've become known as Abu Arram and I deal with many customers from different parts of the Kingdom. I have been contracted by many wedding parties to provide them with the required quantities of Ful. Dealing in Arabian jasmine requires honesty. Dealers should not exploit their customers.” Abu Arram adds, “The Ful trade is risky. Quite often you buy the flowers at a high price, only to be surprised to find that the price in the market is low. Then you are forced to sell at the market price despite knowing that you are losing. You have no choice but to sell and get back part of the capital. If you refuse to sell, you will end up throwing away your entire stock of Ful.” As to where Jizani Ful is grown, Abu Arram explained that it comes from Sabya, Abu Areesh, Sanabah and Al-Rayyan. Abdullah Eisa Nasser, 22, says, “I have been working with Abu Arram, the Ful exporter, for nearly ten years now. At present, Jizani Ful arrives around mid-day so that we can sell them as single flowers or make them into garlands. There are various garland designs and shapes depending on the customer's choice. The different shapes include Al-Masabih, Al-Mussran, Al-Sahlat, Al-Kawafi, Al-Asayeb and Al-Kabbash Al-Hindi. Muhammad Ali Mahrashi, 24, interrupts and says, “Special garland designs are prepared upon the customer's request by women in their homes.” Shadi Muhammad Haidar, 20, proudly shows some of the garlands that he made, saying, “Making a single garland by hand takes me no more than seven minutes. When working with the flowers, you should be quick and skilful at the same time.” Abu Arram took up the conversation, saying, “Six women working for an hour will produce 150 garlands. As to more complicated garland shapes, they need more time. Hence, we have to receive the orders early to give us sufficient time to prepare the garlands – particularly for Al-Kabbash which requires a lot of work.” Bills of lading at Jizan Airport Wajdi Ridha Al-Sirri, 54, a Jizani Ful merchant, appeals to Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) in Jizan Airport to recognize the special difficulty he faces in transporting his goods. He says, “The problem is that the computer for issuing bills of lading at the airport often breaks down. When this happens, Ful merchants incur great losses. Getting bills of lading issued at the Cargo Administration in the airport can take a long time and, therefore, only a small quantity of my stock of Ful can be shipped on the 12:00 noon flight. Moreover, it is not possible to ship the remainder of the Ful on the 6.00 PM flight because the delicate flowers cannot survive such a long wait. Therefore, we are forced to sell the remaining quantity in the local market at a great loss. This inflicts great financial harm on Ful merchants. I hope SAA can understand the nature of the problem that we are facing. We are looking forward to them finding a solution which will be fair to all concerned.” Ful is sensitive Jaber Omar Salhabi, 48, says Ful cannot survive a long journey. Many people want to buy large quantities of Ful and travel with the flowers for a distance exceeding 100 km. In such situations, the Arabian jasmine must be placed in containers packed in enough ice to keep the flowers cool for the length of the trip. Salhabi adds, “I recall a man who came from Al-Qunfudha to purchase a large quantity of Ful for the wedding of one of his sons. He was forced to rent a refrigerator truck when he found that he was unable to transport all of the flowers in his small car. “There are also people who buy Ful not for special occasions, such as weddings, but to sell them. This is especially true of families living in difficult financial circumstances. Such families buy Ful to make garlands to sell. They take a quantity of flowers and then they come the next day and pay for the flowers they took the day before, and take some more Ful which they promise to pay for the following day,” Salhabi explained.
