Doha: Less than two months after the ban, Danish products are back in the shelves of Qatar market. Arla Foods, the main target of Danish goods in the MiIddle East following the row over a blasphemous cartoon on Prophet (PBUH), has finally overcome the stiff protest from the general public in Qatar.
Arla's major distributor's delivery vans have started plying across the city. Its butter and cheese have made a come back to the shelves of city retail outlets. The once banned pharmaceutical products have also found their place back in the medical shops of Qatar.
"The retailers in the region were forced to pull out the Danish products, including medicines, from their shelves following a call from a section of clerics over the region. Arla Foods, was the main target of the boycott. But now, with the Arla coming out openly against the Danish Government the ban has become a non-issue and we have resumed distributing the products" said Muhammed Unni Olakara of Transind Food Suppliers. Tansind is the major distributors of Denmark's branded canned meat Tulip.
During the last four months, Transind has suffered an estimated monthly loss of QR200,000 to QR250,000 due to the ban. But the company has offered to compensate the loss, Muhammed added.
The pharmacies and medical shops in Qatar have also resumed distributing the medicines from Denmark and other Scandinavian countries. "After the un official ban, our customers were very specific to avoid the pharmaceutical products from these countries and we provided them with the substitutes. Now they don't mind purchasing the Danish medicines. But there are still a few who refuse to buy their products. For them, we will provide the alternatives", said a pharmacist from Al Rafa Poly Clinic.
The vanished Arla products have resurfaced in the shelves of Dasman Centre since Saturday. "We are in receipt of a written approval from the concerned religious heads announcing the lift on the ban. And we have resumed their sales," said Chetan, branch manager of Dasman Centre.
Qatar National Import and Export Company is the major distributor of Arla in Qatar. Stuffed with the Arla products their delivery vans are seen rushing to the destinations. But the company officials could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
But confusion still prevails in some section of retailers. The retailer major Lulu Hypermarket is yet to resume selling the banned goods. It's fast moving Danishn products like Lurpark were replaced by Almarai, Aseel and Anchor from Saudi Arabia, UAE and New Zealand respectively. Products from France also found its place in the shelves after the ban.
"There was no official ban on these goods, But we were sharing the sentiments of the larger public. There are reports that some Arab countries have lifted the ban on the products. We are watching the market. If 80 per cent of the retailers lift the ban, we will resume selling the products", said Mohd H Z Aabideen, general manager, Lulu Hypermarket.
Qatari co-operative society Al Meera, was the first to openly come out to announce their decision to boycott the Danish and Norwegian products, immediately after the cartoon issue rocked the Arab nations. The ban is still on in their outlets.
By Satish Kanady
© The Peninsula 2006
