JEDDAH, 25 September 2006 — Baleelah (chick peas) and fried liver stalls, one of the hallmarks of Ramadan in the downtown Balad area are noticeably absent from the scene this year, something which has left a lot of Ramadan shoppers looking for a quick bite at iftar time in the loop.
The Baleelah stalls are usually set up in the Balad area at least a week before Ramadan to serve hungry late night shoppers during the holy month. However, visitors to the Balad area on the first day of this year’s Ramadan expressed disappointment at not finding their regular stalls.
Muflih Al-Gahtani, municipality field inspector in the downtown area, said that this year there was a problem with organizing locations and that pitch rental prices was excruciatingly high. “There’s been a problem with organizing locations and the rental has been very high. To add to the problems we’ve also had an issue with construction work taking place and so some of the regular locations are not available.”
Al-Gahtani added that these problems have caused delays in the allocation of space, especially since contracts are usually given to regular investors rather than new ones.
“With the disappearance of some locations, many of the regular investors were anxious to catch whatever available space for this season. That’s why the stalls didn’t open soon this year,” he said.
However, Al-Gahtani noted that there is a high possibility that stalls will begin opening later this week. Pitches for stalls are rented out each year during the month of Ramadan for interested stallholders. Some stallholders have been operating in the area for decades. Such fast-food stalls are primarily located on Gabil Street all the way to Naseef House in the center of the historical area.
Baleelah and fried liver are the most common dishes in Ramadan especially in the old Jeddah area. Ramadan shopper Muhammad Al-Otaibi said, “It’s a shame the stalls aren’t here. It’s a highlight of our Ramadan shopping. After the late night prayer, we come here and eat something. Well, it seems now we’ll have to come back next week for some fried liver.”
Yasin Adam says his stomach is rumbling at the thought of fried liver. “I came here dying to have some of it. What a shame, fried liver is something I look forward to all year round. For me Ramadan is synonymous with fried liver.” Adam’s friend Mustafa added, “Don’t forget the chickpeas, absolutely fantastic.”
