Hectic Preparations Under Way for Ramadan
Mahmoud Ahmad & K.S. Ramkumar

Crowds throng the well-stocked aisles in a pre-Ramadan
shopping week. (AN photo by Salman Marzouki)

JEDDAH, 11 October 2004 — Hectic preparations are under way
to welcome Ramadan, which begins this weekend. Major
supermarkets and big grocery stores, which are specially
decorated for the season, are overcrowded with families
making huge purchases for the season.

Housewives have been especially enthusiastic, as they get a
chance to prepare the choicest dishes for both iftar and
sahoor.

“I’m taking home a long list of food items, as I’ve been
looking forward to the holy month to prepare all that my
family and friends like,” said Maha Hafiz, a middle-aged
housewife who was shopping at Watani Supermarket here over
the weekend.

Supermarkets are so crowded that shoppers find it difficult
to get hold of a cart, Khaled Al-Balushy, an electronics
executive, said, adding that he had not been able to make
bulk purchases because of the shortage.

“We look forward to this season with great enthusiasm, as
we do 30 to 40 percent of our annual business during
Ramadan,” a supermarket supervisor said. “We’ve been
stocking fresh food arrivals and taking care to see that
we’ve in our stock everything that families look for,” he
added.

Supermarket supervisors say families spend heavily on food
items during the season. A study shows that their Ramadan
grocery spend is two to three times their average monthly
spend.

Aside from food items, families have been shopping for
kitchen equipment and appliances.

“Many women tend to redecorate their homes and renew their
kitchen appliances just for Ramadan,” said Umm Muneer.

Some families make a special budgetary provision for
Ramadan. Others take exception to such generous spending on
food during the fasting month.

“This is something that is against the tenets of Islam,
because Ramadan has never been observed as a month for
shopping and spending huge sums on food. Most of us forget
the spiritual and religious meaning of Ramadan,” said Umm
Abdullah.

“Ramadan has turned into a festival of food,” said Muhammad
Al-Zahrani, a teacher. “Few realize the true meaning of
Ramadan anymore. For some, it has become a month for doing
less work, sleeping during the day, staying up late at
night watching TV. Many families tend to buy more food than
they require. There are families that stock a lot of
grocery before the month starts so that they do not have to
visit the supermarket again.”

Shops and outlets in shopping malls are working overtime to
decorate their premises and provide families’ needs.
Especially busy are carpet and furnishing outlets, as
families tend to change their carpets and furnishings to
mark Eid Al-Fitr.

“We make sure that we offer the latest and the best,” said
a carpet shop owner in Al-Bawadi district.

Many hotels and restaurants have also been making
preparations for Ramadan. Their chefs have made elaborate
plans to offer a variety of Arabic dishes during the month.
“We are offering mouth-watering varieties for both iftar
and sahoor,” a food and beverage executive at Albilad Hotel
said.


Non-Muslims Urged to Respect Ramadan.
P.K. Abdul Ghafour.

JEDDAH, 11 October 2004 — The Interior Ministry yesterday
requested non-Muslim foreign residents to respect the
feelings of Muslims during the fasting month of Ramadan by
abstaining from eating, drinking and smoking in public
during the day.

The ministry also warned that violators of the rules could
face deportation. “Authorities will take deterrent measures
such as terminating work contracts of, and deporting,
violators,” said a statement from the ministry carried by
the Saudi Press Agency.

“Non-Muslim residents of this country must respect Muslims’
feelings by refraining from eating, drinking or smoking in
public places, in the streets and in workplaces during the
dawn-to-dusk fast observed by Muslims throughout the holy
month,” the statement said.

The ministry reminded non-Muslims in the Kingdom that they
are obliged to respect Islamic rules and follow the
Kingdom’s regulations on the basis of the terms of their
contracts. The ministry called upon companies and
individual employers to explain the statement to their
non-Muslim staff and caution them against violating it.

Ramadan is expected to begin on Oct. 15 depending on the
sighting of the crescent moon.

The Supreme Judiciary Council has urged Muslims in the
country to look on Wednesday evening for the new moon which
will signal the beginning of Ramadan. The council advised
those who sight the crescent to contact the nearest Shariah
court or governorate to register their sighting.

Ramadan Meals

The World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) in the Makkah
region said it would distribute meals among the poor in 28
Asian and African countries during Ramadan.

Dr. Abdul Wahab Noorwali, WAMY’s assistant
secretary-general, said his organization had allocated
SR665,000 for that purpose. “We will also organize Islamic
lectures, Qur’an classes and Taraweeh prayers in those
countries during the month,” he added.












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