JEDDAH, 21 December 2005 — Many stores in Jeddah are selling illegally smuggled candies and chocolates that contain substances prohibited under Islam, such as non-halal animal products and alcohol.

These candies are not only available, but sold at exaggerated prices, because they are bought at retail prices from Western countries. The shops are mostly located in Khalediah district, downtown Balad and in Tahliah Street.

“I stopped dealing in these popular candies when I was told by Muslim Westerners that they sometimes contain pork gelatin,” said Mamdouh Al-Harithi, a dates and candy shop owner in Balad. “We used to sell a lot.”

Even if the candies didn’t contain pork products, the animals used may not have been slaughtered in a halal (permissible) manner under the dietary guidelines of Islamic law.

Some of these candies and chocolates used to be common in Saudi markets before being banned for one reason or another, said Al-Harithi. “They are in big demand because many people are emotionally attached to them; the candies remind them of the old times,” he added.

A shopkeeper in Khalediah said they have a wide variety of candies and chocolates that can’t be found anywhere else. He gives cash to airline crews to bring him his orders when they fly abroad. The candies are mostly bought from the United Kingdom and South Africa.

A fruit pastilles candy costs around SR7, while a similar candy which is legal in the market costs no more than SR2.

“I have special customers, mostly expatriates, for these candies,” said the shopkeeper who didn’t seem to be concerned about them containing illegal substances. “The clients know that they are brought from abroad and they don’t mind,” he said.

Khaled Safar, a downtown shop owner, said that he once encountered a Russian pilgrim who offered to sell chocolates that he brought with him. “I was thrilled as I knew the quality of Russian chocolates,” he said.

The man had 50 boxes of high quality chocolates and offered to sell each box at SR15.

“When I checked the ingredients I found an immense quantity of alcohol content in the product,” he noted.

Safar claimed that he bought the whole set and threw it in the garbage because he didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands.

There are many shops that do not care about legal aspects and they keep on dealing in those candies, especially with the clear lack of supervision from the Ministry of Commerce, he said.