ALKHOBAR, 26 November 2003 — Eid is upon us, and for many the fun has begun. Not everyone is on holiday, though. For some this is the season to work long hours.

“We are already fully booked for lunch and dinner on the first and second day of Eid, and on the third day we have only a few tables open right now,” said Benjamin Al-Meida, staff member at La Gondola Restaurant. “Everyone wants to relax and enjoy the holiday with their families, so we are working hard to create a memorable occasion for them.”

The restaurant is one of the most popular in Alkhobar and the staff is accustomed to coping with large numbers of customers, especially on weekends. But the situation on the Eid holiday is over the top.

“Around 40 staff members will work at maximum levels to serve our customers,” said Al-Meida. “We are expecting large groups of up to 25 people per table. We will take our last order at 11 p.m. so most likely we won’t be able to finish all our duties until 12:30 or 1 a.m. That’s fine with us. This is the time for business.”

The situation is much the same at Le Gourmet, where they have already been baking and decorating for days.

“For Eid, we have noticed an increased demand for individual desserts such as cookies, chocolates and petit fours,” said manager Oussama Turk. “Often, women bring their own serving trays and guest dishes to our shops and we make a dessert arrangement to suit their specific needs.”

This Eid, one of the most popular treats at Le Gourmet are the chocolates of Michel Cluizel. In Paris at this year’s 9th Chocolate Show in October, a jury of 250 connoisseurs gave Cluizel the Chocolate Award in recognition of his unique know-how.

“Le Gourmet is pleased to be the exclusive purveyor of such unique confections,” said Turk. “In the Saudi market exclusivity is necessary for success, especially among our sophisticated clientele, who travel the world.”

The choice of restaurant or pastry shop differs between families at Eid, but for recreation there’s one place visited by young and old, Saudi and expatriate alike, during the holiday — Alrashid Mall.

“Last year we hosted over 35,000 visitors on each day of the Eid holiday,” said Fouad S. Al-Fakhri, general manager, Alrashid Mall. “This year we are expecting the same number or more, with especially heavy traffic on the second, third and fourth days of Eid.”

For Alrashid the holiday is slow to start but builds in momentum as the week goes on. Al-Fakhri explained that the mall’s shops closed late on the last day of Ramadan and most would not reopen immediately on Eid morning. As many families are busy in the morning hours greeting friends and relatives, this was not a concern.

“From the afternoon today the restaurants and entertainment facilities will be in full swing, and the shops will gradually reopen,” Al-Fakhri said. “We have nice entertainment for youngsters of all ages including an automobile show involving most of the major dealerships displaying their latest model vehicles which will be attractive for teenagers, face painting for the little ones and a drawing and painting competition for children of all ages. Extra security is in place to handle the crowds. We also have extended the mall opening hours to 2 a.m. so there is more time for everyone to enjoy our facilities.”

While one might expect that restaurants and amusement centers would open during Eid, this year many companies are providing at least basic services to local consumers over the holiday week. For example, Ace Travel has a skeleton staff on duty each morning at its locations across the Kingdom. Zaina International has emergency repairmen on call at its service center. And while the Saudi post is closed, private couriers are still delivering.

“Since we are part of an international network we must remain operational,” said Hisham Zorgan, country procurement manager, DHL. “Our local logistics centers will be open 24-hours and international inbound and outbound deliveries are continuing. There are people sending gifts for the holiday and of course the inevitable individual emergency situations must be handled. Happy Eid to all and if you need us, we are here to serve you.”