ABHA, 13 May 2006 — Working in the qat business has proven to be a profitable business in Asir, the mountainous region in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Qat is the leaves of the flowering shrub Catha Edulis, native to tropical East Africa and commonly cultivated in Yemen. Users chew the leaves to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation; heavy users can become physically addicted to the stimulant.
Qat, a mild drug, is illegal in Europe and the United States. The Saudi government also considers it an illegal stimulant.
Nevertheless, the dealing of qat is a profitable business to anyone willing to risk the severe penalties.
Ali, 24, who did not want to provide his real name for obvious reasons, claims that he can make as much as SR8,000 in one day selling the banned leaves.
Thursdays, he says, are the best days to sell. He claims that his customers range from writers and intellectuals to taxi drivers and the unemployed.
A typical bundle of qat bought on the street costs between SR170 and SR220.
Ali has six pushers that are working with him in distributing his contraband. They sell the qat in nearby villages for a share on the profit. He claims that the tentacles of his trade reach the Eastern Province, Riyadh and Jeddah.
Qat is smuggled from Yemen through the Fifa mountains. It is also grown in Fifa. According to the Interior Ministry, police seized more than 5 million tons of qat in 2005.
Despite his carefulness, Ali said he has been caught dealing qat by police a number of times. He said he once spent four days in police detention and was later released on bail.
Ahmad, another qat dealer out of Riyadh, said he can make SR1,000 on a slow day. He says that dealing qat pays better than any job he could obtain with his high school degree.
He boasted about pulling the salary of four mid-level department managers combined. With the income from qat he can easily secure a bright future for his kids, he said.
Abu Bandar Al-Fifi, who lives in Fifa, said that anti-drug operations in the region are common. There is a reward of SR100 for each qat bush reported.
Al-Fifi says that the reward system hasn’t been very successful because the propagating of qat is more profitable.
A security source told Arab News that the punishment for qat businessmen differs depending on the quantity seized. Saudi Arabia imposes the death penalty on smugglers of narcotics.
People who sell drugs and are caught with large quantities can face long prison terms. Drug abusers can be forced into rehabilitation programs. Expatriate violators not sentenced to death are deported after serving their time.
