JEDDAH, 16 February 2003 — Many electrical shopping centers in Jeddah are now offering huge discounts in order to get a bigger share of market sales, according to Al-Eqtisadiah.
Total sales are expected to total some SR500 million. Electrical goods are the number one items bought by pilgrims leaving the Kingdom.
According to merchants, the most popular items this year are televisions, radios, kitchen appliances and vacuum cleaners.
Employees at travel agencies as well as those at Jeddah’s international airport estimate that each pilgrim carries 10 kilograms of electrical equipment with him when he leaves. More than 1.2 million pilgrims are expected to depart the Kingdom via Jeddah within the next month.
