During the month of Ramadan, commercial and service establishments should implement the discounts they have agreed to give retired citizens, particularly those who are only receiving a pension of SR2,000, an official of the Saudi National Retirees Association (SNRA) has said. There are agreements which have been arranged for retirees through their local associations, which are grouped under the umbrella of the SNRA, granting discounts when retirees purchase goods in supermarkets or go to hospitals or clinics for medical checkups, said Bidah Al-Qahtani, board member of SNRA and immediate past president of the Eastern Province Retirees Association. “We retirees should be granted these discounts during the month of Ramadan, not only on the basis of our agreement with these establishments, but more so in recognition of the spirit of Ramadan which is sharing what you have with those less fortunate members of society,” Al-Qahtani said. According to Al-Qahtani, the various retirees associations in the Kingdom have reached agreements with local establishments, such as supermarkets and hospitals, to grant special discounts to retired citizens and pensioners. “Although there are no written agreements between us and these establishments, we have reached an understanding with them that they will honor and extend discounts to senior and retired citizens,” Al-Qahtani said. He said business establishments preferred not to put such agreements in writing in order to avoid legal problems. “They are, however, bound to honor the discount agreements,” he added. “Head offices of establishments with whom we have agreements most often do not inform their branches that there are such understandings regarding discounts for senior citizens, and therefore retirees do not get the discounts when they transact business with local branches,” Al-Qahtani explained. Retirees have been asking for discounts in establishments, such as supermarkets, hospitals and clinics, hotels, and transport companies. They are also asking for special windows in banks and government offices that will provide them with greater ease in transacting their business. “Here in Saudi Arabia we have not yet achieved the level of support and respect for senior citizens and retirees that exists in some other countries. We are trying hard to achieve this, but for many of us who are elderly, the support and help may not come soon enough,” Al
