RIYADH/JEDDAH, 3 November 2005 — The fasting month of Ramadan officially ended yesterday, triggering frenetic preparations for the Eid Al-Fitr across the Kingdom today. The celebrations will culminate with hundreds of thousands pouring into mosques and open fields, chanting praises of God, to offer the Eid prayers in the early hours of the day.
Many venues have been identified for congregational prayers across Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province, as well as in other cities and towns. Hundreds of thousands of worshippers are expected to gather at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah for the prayers which will be held soon after sunrise.
“I’ve followed the practice of offering Eid prayers in Makkah ever since I came here 22 years ago,” said Dr. Mohsin Mohammed, a MOH specialist in Jeddah.
In Riyadh, many family entertainment shows including a circus, a cinema, folklore dances, and other cultural events and firework displays are being held in seven districts of the city. Supported by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, the events are being organized by the Riyadh Development Authority and the city mayor’s office.
The circus in Murooj district, near the main office of Saudi Arabian Airlines, is one of the main family entertainment events this time in which families will see tigers, camels and horses performing tricks. The circus will kick off with two shows today (3:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.). The first three days of the 90-minute circus show have been reserved for families and children, whereas the fourth day has been earmarked for men.
This time seven sites in the capital have also been reserved for firework displays, which begin at 9:15 p.m. today. The sites include King Fahd International Stadium, Prince Sultan University Campus, Oreija district, near Al-Suweidi Gardens, King Abdul Aziz Center and Al-Salam Park. Additionally, motorbike and car shows will be held between Exit 10 and Exit 11 on the eastern ring road.
Also this year, Riyadh’s King Fahd Cultural Hall has been converted into a makeshift cinema hall, where cartoon films will be shown during the three-day Eid celebration. Women employees are mounting the shows on the big screen, being held for the first time. The 60-90 minute shows are for women and children only. Entry is SR5 per person.
The Riyadh governorate has also organized Eid entertainment programs, which include folklore dances and dramas. More than 600 palm trees and hundreds of electric light poles have been decorated with small bulbs across the city. Elaborate security arrangements have also been made to cope with any eventuality.
Shopping malls and outlets added color to the festive atmosphere by decorating their premises with buntings and lights.
Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, emphasized his organization’s plan to use Eid festivals in various parts of the country as venues to promote domestic tourism. “The Eid festivities in different regions reveal that we have a lot of untapped potentials, which could be used to promote as new tourism products,” the SCT chief said.
The annual feast comes this year 30 days of dawn-to-dusk fasting. The new moon, which marks the start of the lunar month, was not sighted on Tuesday and therefore yesterday was the last day of Ramadan.
The holy month was marked by family and community participation at iftar and suhour parties. Restaurants and hotels especially reported “good business’ during the month. “We’ve had a ‘full house’ for iftar and suhour all through the month,” said Thomas Schmelter, general manager at Jeddah’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, which had the largest Ramadan tent in the city.
Some of the iftar events were also marked by free distribution of the copies of Qur’an. “We make it a point to distribute Qur’an copies to all our invitees at iftar parties every year,” said the head of a Jeddah-based cargo shipping company, which held its annual iftar at Al-Salam Holiday Inn Hotel.
There has been a last minute run on supermarkets and shops across the cities for purchasing new clothes, gifts, and other requirements for the Eid celebration.
“The Eid festival has heated up competition among shopping malls to attract customers,” said Geant Hypermarket Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Adil. The Geant hypermarkets in Riyadh and Jeddah especially have been getting a large number of shoppers, one of the attractions being a chance to win a new Lumina car. Many shopping malls and supermarkets made similar offers.
Inquiries at gold and jewelry outlets in Riyadh and Jeddah show that their sales were “badly affected” this season due to high prices. “The Eid season accounts for about 30 percent of our sales, but this time the situation is different,” said Kalim Najdi of a Riyadh outlet, adding that the spiraling gold prices have kept jewelry sales at low levels.
Sweetshops and bakeries have been among the outlets that did a roaring trade.
Outlets of clothes and readymade dresses have reported “excellent” sales all through the season. “Our sales this time are higher than in the previous seasons, maybe because of early payment of salaries,” said Shamima Khanam, a Riyadh teacher and mother of two children. She said she purchased all her festival needs early because she and her husband got their salaries early.
Sabih Ahmed Khan, a safety officer working for Turkish Yuksel Company, said there had been a general increase in prices this season compared with previous years. “The artificial hike in prices has compounded the problems of ordinary people especially expatriates,” said Khan. “We need to buy glittering glass bangles, soft fragrance of roses and lilies and colorful clothes, which are an essential part of the Eid,” he said.
“Despite all this, the kitchens are abuzz with activity for the special treats that go with the occasion,” said a housewife. The favorite sweet dish, the traditional “sheer khurma” is prepared in almost every subcontinental family in the Kingdom. Shops selling everything from foodstuffs and household items to the latest fashion wear remained open throughout the night all through the month.
