DAMMAM, 8 February 2004 — After the Eid Al-Adha holiday, Saudi and international schools in the Eastern Province reopened yesterday.
According to an official at the Directorate of Education in the Eastern Province, more than 300,000 male and nearly 200,000 female students have returned to class. Private and international schools also reported record attendance and regular classes.
Stationery shops in Dammam and Alkhobar did record business due to the reopening of schools. “Although it is the middle of the year, our sales of stationery have been high,” said Jassim Al-Suwaid, owner of a Dammam shop.
The Eastern Province market registered low sales prior to the holidays. “Now that people are back and schools and offices opened, we hope that sales will increase,” said Abdullah Al-Mulhim, a leading food trader.
The transportation industry has not returned to normal as hundreds of buses and trucks which were taken to Makkah and Madinah for Haj will be there for another two weeks.
“We are operating our routine services to the region, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and other Gulf states. Some services, however, have been canceled due to non-availability of buses,” commented a SAPTCO official.
