Dawsari, head of Qatif Municipality, said the dramatic increase in the number of traditional markets in the region has caused traffic jams and other inconveniences for residents. He said that there are now 44 such markets in the towns and villages of the governorate and that while they were once only open on certain days of the week, these markets now function daily and attract large numbers of people. Al-Dawsari said there is coordination with the governorate to tackle the problems emerging from the proliferation of these markets and that a higher committee has been established for that purpose. The committee is chaired by the Governor and includes the director of Qatif police, the traffic director, the head of Qatif municipality and the head of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a). He said that the higher committee has formed a field committee, which includes representatives of the municipality and traffic department, to visit these markets and assess the appropriateness of their locations. Apart from the inconvenience of traffic jams, the traditional markets cause further problems as some vendors erect their stalls near the doorways and gates of buildings. Abdul Kareem Muhammad, a shop owner, blamed the municipality for the spread of these markets because of the leniency of inspectors. He accused these markets of creating traffic problems and chaos and anarchy in the marketplace. He said the vendors in these markets have turned the gates of buildings into stalls for exhibiting their goods and added that the markets have become centers for the sale of counterfeited products. He said the spread of traditional markets has led to many shop owners closing their shops and displaying their goods in the markets which attract a large number of people looking for cheap prices. He called upon the responsible authorities in the municipality to strictly enforce the law against the owners of these shops. Abdul Hamid Redwan, a merchant, said the issue of traditional markets needs to be thoroughly studied. He added that vendors in these markets do not have expenses such as rent and the cost of decoration so they can make a profit at almost any price they sell their goods. He said the merchants in Qatif and Ahsa have been incurring huge losses because of the markets which has forced many merchants to go out of business. He added that there are also organizational issues as many of these vendors occupy the streets in broad daylight and create inconveniences for the public without being checked. He claimed that some women have complained about the misbehavior of some vendors stressing that the only way to get rid of this headache is to shut down these markets.
