MINA, 11 January 2006 — It is common knowledge that many enterprising Muslims from Central Asian countries come to Saudi Arabia not only to perform Haj but also to make some extra money. They sell carpets, silver items and binoculars in Makkah, Mina and Madinah after arriving in the Kingdom passing through Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Syria and Jordan. In each country they stop and sell items they have brought with them in order to cover the costs of the journey. What is less known, however, is that there are also many from African-Arab countries who come here to make a fast buck.
Al-Filali Najeeb, a Moroccan in his late 40s, is one of those. He has been coming here for the last six years. “I deal in Moroccan thobes. I have a chain there in my name. In 2000, I was here to perform Haj. At that time I brought a few hundred thobes with me to be sold when the pilgrimage was over. I sold them in a few hours. I was happy and the businessman in me was excited. I saw an opportunity and the next year I was back in Mina, but this time not as a pilgrim but purely as a trader.”
Najeeb, whose makeshift shop is located in one of the tents near Jamrat area, said his Haj business has grown in the last three years. “I now have two tent shops in Mina. I met a Saudi and rented these two shops. Part of the profit goes for his commission. Alhamdulillah, I make enough money,” he said.
For Najeeb, the business begins in Ramadan itself. “I generally come to the Kingdom from Casablanca during the first week of Ramadan. That is when I unload my consignment of readymade thobes, ihrams and ghutras. I have makeshift shops in Makkah as well. Ramadan gives me an idea about what is in demand. Because Makkah draws people from all over the world, I immediately get to know what the pilgrims want. Then I order goods for the Haj period,” he explained.
“Trading during Haj is allowed. Merchants have for centuries pinned their hopes of increasing business on the annual pilgrimage,” Najeeb said. “I have always put a cap on profit. I don’t jack up prices. I believe in fixed-price business. I don’t believe in haggling. Many pilgrims come and start haggling and I tell them if you come to Morocco, you will find no difference in prices. I make money here based on the volume of business that I do. During Haj 2004, I must have sold 100,000 thobes. That was the best year for me. In Morocco, it would take me about eight months to sell 100,000 thobes. What a difference! Eight months there and five days in Mina! Alhamdulillah,” he added.
Last year was bad for Najeeb. “Business was good but my profits were washed away by the rains that flooded Mina on the last day of Haj. My shop was completely destroyed. I could barely retrieve anything but I didn’t lose anything. I didn’t make anything. It is all Allah’s will. I am happy in every situation,” he said with a smile. “People who come to Haj are huge spenders. They always buy souvenirs. My branded thobes make an ideal gift. The best buyers are of course Saudis. Then there are pilgrims from Gulf countries. They love Moroccan thobes. I have thobes ranging in price from SR40 to SR700. People from Third World countries find my prices too high but they are big kaffiyeh buyers,” he said.
