Customers gather at this city's oldest and most famous livestock market, popularly known as “Souq Al-Hammam,” every Friday, looking for live poultry, parrots, pigeons and even cats. The market in the open area near the well-known Seiko building in the heart of the city hums with activity as dawn breaks on Friday and shuts by noon as the midday heat becomes oppressive. There are no fixed prices for the items sold here; heavy bargaining is common and, indeed, expected. Salesmen usually start by demanding exorbitant prices for live birds or other pets, but gradually agree to accept less in order to meet the demands of customers. Salesmen have been so well-trained that they will rarely allow a customer to leave empty-handed . “You can buy items here that are not normally available in supermarkets or other shops. Hens, roosters, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, rabbits – all alive, and pet animals including love birds, hamsters and even cats are available here. This market is without any roof or rent to be paid. This is just a good gathering of buyers and sellers in Dammam city center,” said Ahmed Naser, a long-time livestock seller who comes every Friday morning from the Saihat area where he has chicken and rabbit farms. “I have been selling hens, roosters and eggs here for the last 35 years. I usually sell 50 to 75 naturally-fed chickens for SR15 to SR20 each. Actually this was my father's business before, but now that he is no longer alive, I look after it and try to make a living from it,” Naser said. Mujeeburahman, a Bangladeshi national, told Saudi Gazette that people come to the market to buy naturally-fed hens and ducks brought from the outskirts of Dammam. Mujeeburahman and his friends come here from Jubail and Al-Khobar every Friday to buy live chickens “which are much tastier than frozen ones”. Sometimes Mujeeburahman buys rabbits from farmers who sell them at a cheap price. “It is a good business because lots of people come to the market and they are ready to pay good money also,” said Salahuddeen, an Indian, who has been in the business for about three years. Mohammed Abood, a Yemani who was selling a pair of long-haired Persian cats for SR1,200, told Saudi Gazette that he purchased a pair two years ago for SR1,000. “The female cat gave birth to four kittens, two males and two females. Now I would like to sell one pair for SR1,200 in order to get back my invested money,” he said. Some people come to the market with their children to show them the different types of birds and animals being offered for sale.
