Friday 6 December 2013
The "Harraj" or Al-Sawarikh Market in the south of Jeddah expands and attracts new patrons and customers every year, making it the largest and most popular of its kind in the Kingdom and the Middle East. The market, known for offering goods 90 percent lower than those at shopping malls, offers a diverse array of merchandise. About 1.2 million kinds of products are exhibited in one place. Many Saudis interested in saving money frequent the place to buy new and used goods at bargain prices. There are also many foreigners at the market purchasing durable goods, furniture or new electrical appliances.
Saeed Al-Idrisi, a Moroccan marketing employee, said that he decided to buy used furniture, a refrigerator and air conditioners because he does not know when he might need to leave the country. Salem, a Saudi who has worked at the market for more than 20 years, said it is called the "Port Market" because goods confiscated by the port customs authority are sold there. "It is also called Al-Sawarikh Market because of its proximity to a missile base that was built in the far southwest of Jeddah 25 years ago," said Salem. The market began with 30 shops and has now transformed into a commercial city built on more than 1 million square meters.
It houses more than 13,000 shops and over 10,000 licensed stalls. Since the start of the labor correction campaign, the number of sellers on the pavements have decreased significantly, he said. Jaafar Sief Al-Yazal, a Sudanese residing in Makkah, said that he visits the market whenever he passes through Jeddah. He said it is growing continuously. Many vendors have moved to it because of its reputation in the Arab and Muslim world, he said. However, there are still illegal traders at the market trying to evade the authorities. Sheikh Abdullah Abboud, the mayor of south Jeddah, said municipal teams patrol the market on a daily basis to deal with these traders.
The teams also check shops for expired or counterfeit goods sold at low prices. Abboud said the problem of illegal traders is particularly acute at the end of each week and before the month of Ramadan. However, municipal officers routinely confiscate the goods of these traders, he said. He said the municipality is also working to improve services at the market, including the toilets and paving. It is also working with the National Water Company to resolve the high groundwater problem.
Sources at the Jeddah Passports Department said the size of the market has seen many illegal residents, particularly Haj and Umrah overstayers, take refuge there among the thousands of legal workers. Nashwa Taher, chairman of the commerce committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the expansion of the market is proof of its ability to sell cheap, quality goods. However, there was a need to improve services so it can expand as it did over the past 25 years.
© Arab News 2013
