DAMMAM, 7 January — Life returned to its normal routine as schools and government offices opened yesterday after extended Eid holidays. Most of the Saudi schools reported thin attendance on the first day back, but hoped that from tomorrow attendance will return to normal as mid-term examinations were imminent.
Government offices were humming with activity and work started on a full-scale. This year the government offices also had an extended vacation and as a result people crowded the offices to complete delayed work. The busiest departments were the Passport and Immigration offices where Saudis and expatriates alike queued patiently to have their documents processed.
The reopening of schools signaled a boom for bookstores. Since Thursday children accompanied by their parents have thronged stationery shops. A rush is normally seen at the beginning of the new academic year, but in view of the mid-term examinations, these shops experienced brisk sales.
The extended Eid vacation has had a very positive effect on the hotel industry, which reported better business, compared with last year. Fast food outlets and restaurants, which experienced sluggish business during Ramadan, also reported brisk business during Eid holidays. However, furnished apartments continued to suffer as guest bookings were low. Chalets and tourist resorts had a similar fate.
Business establishments and traders say that they incurred losses due to extended holidays. "Many people returned late from their vacation and as a result our sales continued to be on the lower side during these extra days," said the manager of a popular supermarket in Alkhobar.
Shop owners at shopping malls like Rashid Mall, Waha Mall and Alkhobar Mall also said that they had bad business during this Eid and afterwards. "There are many visitors at the mall but fewer people inside our shop," commented the owner of an American ready-made garments shop at Rashid Mall.
Shop owners say that these malls are gradually acquiring a status of amusement centers, like a garden or park, where people come for a change from daily routine. "Not too many people visit our shop," confirmed the owner of a cosmetic shop at Rashid Mall.
