As soon as the summer vacation starts, many unemployed Saudis and expatriates take to selling fake designer goods in the rural areas around Jeddah and in the holy cities of Makkah and Madina in an attempt to benefit from the rush of visitors in the summer and in the holy month of Ramadan. Jeddah's central Al-Balad district is a favorite gathering place for those selling fake items with famous brand names. On display are shoes, glasses, watches and electronic equipment, all with internationally recognized brand names, none of which are genuine. Saudi Gazette make a tour of Al-Balad, to see the latest counterfeit products on offer and to gauge their popularity with Saudi and expatriate customers. “We are selling shoes, all of which carry a famous brand name, but all of these shoes are fake,“ said Saleh Nasir, a salesman at an Al-Balad shoe store. He added, “The owner of the shop set up a factory in Syria, and he imports the shoes from there.” According to Nasir, the price of shoes in stores and malls in other parts of the city is high, but in Al-Balad the situation is completely different. “Most people come to Al-Balad because they believe that the products here are the same as those available in the city's well-known malls. They also believe that we are selling goods at the original price and that the fancy malls are making the price higher than usual,” he explained. According to Nasir, the products on offer in Al-Balad are very cheap, which is what attracts customers to the area. “We have two kind of customers: the first kind are expatriates who are going away on vacation for the summer and need to buy gifts for their family and friends and who want to save money by buying everything in Al-Balad. The second group consists of young Saudi women who want to buy a large amount of brand name items at the lowest possible cost, so that they can look fashionable in front of their friends and relatives,” Nasir said. Saudi university students are preparing for summer weddings and other activities by buying fake products at a low price. “In Saudi society, girls need to have a lot more than just simple clothes. I need to buy a lot of accessories to go with each of my outfits, and that will end up costing a lot. That's why I come to Al-Balad and buy items with brand names at a low price,” said Aal'a Al-Shomrani, a Saudi university student. She added, “I buy my accessories, watches, head bands, hair clips, and handbags from Al-Balad, where designer glass frames which sell for SR500 in well-known malls and shops can be bought for 50 or even 30 riyals.” According to Al-Shomrani, even if these products are fake, no one can tell the difference. Hemaya Universal Company, which is working with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to make people aware of the danger of purchasing counterfeit goods, stresses the necessity of arresting those selling such products. “Some customers, especially expatriates and those performing Umrah, are not aware that fake products are being sold and cannot distinguish between real and counterfeit items with brand names,” said Said Mahmoud Al-Saiyed, a Hemaya Universal lecturer and trainer. Fake products generally include electronic appliances, cotton clothes, shoes, watches and bed covers, said Al-Saiyed. “We have established offices in the Kingdom's custom's departments and this has played an important role in decreasing the number of counterfeit products on sale in the Kingdom,” Al-Saiyed said. “Now we are preparing intensive courses for custom's office employees to enable them to distinguish between fake and genuine goods,” he added. The selling of such items usually increases in the summer and in Ramadan, which is why we are intensifying our tours around Makkah, Madina and the rural areas of Jeddah, he said. “The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has advertised phone numbers that people can call to complain about counterfeit goods,” Al-Saiyed added. The Saudi Customs Department, an affiliate of the Ministry of Finance, was awarded the International Customs Organization's prize for 2009 for its efforts to fight trade violations and to protect intellectual property at an awards ceremony in Brussels in June.
