Butchers are refusing to brandish their knifes to slaughter an Eid sheep for less than SR200 in Jeddah, an increase from just SR40 on regular days. And before putting the knife to the neck of a camel or cow, butchers are demanding SR700. This is the time of year when butchers, licensed or non-licensed, can make up to SR2,000 a day. “I had to choose between performing the Haj and working during the Eid, and I decided to just stay here and make more money slaughtering customers' sacrificial animals,” said Muhammad Ghulam. In Riyadh, more than 20,000 animals were slaughtered on the first day of Eid. Muslims are allowed to sacrifice during the first four days of Eid. At least 60 animals were disposed of due to health problems, said Soleiman Al-Bathi, director of environmental health at the Riyadh Mayoralty. Riyadh has over 300 licensed slaughterhouses. The mayoralty has deployed 100 teams to crack down on unhealthy and illegal butchers slaughtering sacrifices in the streets. The prices of sheep ahead of Eid ranged between SR1,000 and SR1,500 in Riyadh. In Jeddah, the prices skyrocketed to SR2,000 per sheep, depending on the health of the animal and the quality of the meat. Jeddah slaughterhouses were packed with customers on Friday, forcing some to look for unlicensed butchers to avoid long queues. “I found an Arab butcher with a big knife to slaughter my sacrificial animal, but I stopped him because he was not doing it according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him),” said Muhammad Al-Juhani. The butcher did not put the head of the sheep in the direction of the Qiblah (the direction of Makkah) and failed to hold the sheep in the correct way as he was getting ready to slaughter it, Al-Juhani said. “I then decided to do it myself,” he said. In Qunfudah, 300 km southwest of Jeddah, the price of slaughtering sacrificial animals has increased by at least 160 percent, as unlicensed butchers, including plumbers try to make big money out of the occasion. Qunfudah residents had to pay at least SR150 for each sheep slaughtered by unlicensed butchers in the open where animals were seen hanging by a rope from trees or low-rising public light poles. Ibrahim Sayed, a plumber from Egypt, said that he abandoned his original profession that “does not even help pay the rent,” to be an Eid butcher. “I make around SR1,500 during the first days of Eid from morning to noon and I have my regular clients coming back to me every Eid Al-Adha,” he said. Imran Ahmad, a construction worker, said he has a good butchery business reputation during Eid for his slaughtering skills. “I can finish off a sheep of medium size in less than 20 minutes,” he said. “My regular customers book time slots a few days ahead of Eid,” he said. Customers say that they are happy to pay extra in order to avoid long lines at licensed slaughterhouses. Unlicensed butchers do not check the health of the animal and are not able to tell if an animal is unsuitable for sacrifice, a health official said. In Hail, long lines at the slaughterhouses remained a problem for customers in the midst of a cold winter, driving them into the hands of groups of unlicensed butchers along the streets. Two mechanics from Sudan, Muhammad and Ali, said they did not know much about butchery but the money they made would be their Eid sweet. During the Eid days, they make up to SR1,000 each a day. These butchers ask for nothing but the money, said Muhammad Al-Fahad. Licensed slaughterhouses would not slaughter a sacrificial animal unless it was completely healthy, he said. Unidentified groups of men attacked a shepherd in Nahtiah village, south of Hail, and stole 11 sheep ahead of the Eid. They also stole his cell phone to stop him from reporting the theft to police on time. Police are still searching for the culprits.
