MAKKAH, 6 May 2006 — Police are cracking down on vendors of Zamzam water on the entrances and exits of the holy city, Arab News has learned.
The informal businessmen say the police action is unjustified. They feel that they are doing nothing wrong and must do something to generate money to survive. They work for very long hours in the hot weather selling Zamzam, earning between SR30 and SR50 on an average day.
“Selling Zamzam water is not enough to support a family but we earn honest money and is better than staying at home doing nothing,” said Ani Al-Hasani, a Saudi from Tufail, where he lives with his wife and three children. He leaves the village, about 100 kilometers from Makkah, early morning and returns only late at night.
Al-Hasani said he could not attend school when he was young and therefore had no formal education. With few employment options, the Saudi resorted to street vending.
“It is easy to do illegal things and earn a lot of money but I decided to earn an honest living. The local authorities are not giving us a break and they harass us all the time,” he said.
Al-Hasani said that the police stopped him recently for three days from selling water to the incoming and outgoing visitors to the holy city. He said he was treated as a criminal and feels like a fugitive when the local authorities pass by looking out for street vendors.
Mohsin Al-Fahmi, a retired soldier, said he supports his two wives by selling Zamzam. He said he could not find any other job after retirement.
“It’s not easy money. It comes after sitting the whole day under the sun,” said Al-Fahmi. “Police detained me at least five times. Once they let me go because I had my five-year-old son with me. But every time I am released I go back to selling water because I have no other choice.”
Al-Fahmi said he could earn up to SR120 on weekends when traffic to the holy city is higher than normal.
In Ramadan water vendors can earn up to SR150 a day, he added.
