JEDDAH, 31 August 2007 — This is an exceptional year in Saudi Arabia, with Ramadan, Eid and the starting of school seasons so close to each other that many families are organizing their spending in a way that would enable them to meet school, Ramadan and Eid costs.
Schoolchildren are back to school on Sept. 8 — and parents are already out buying school stuff for their children. Ramadan kicks off a few days later and housewives are busy buying goodies for the festive season. The coming of Eid at the end of Ramadan — a time when people will be buying gifts and new clothes for themselves — will further exacerbate financial problems.
Amal, a housewife and mother of three, said she is facing difficulties in meeting costs and blames whoever set the new academic year timetable. “They’re aware how things work here. They could have extended the holiday until after Ramadan. This would have smoothened things for us,” she said.
“I’m trying my best to convince my kids to use their last year’s schoolbags, shoes, and uniforms. I’m pregnant and can’t go around looking for cheap stuff... I’m afraid my son might come home and say that his classmates have bought new stuff for school, why not me. If he says such a thing then that would break my heart,” she said.
Nuha, another housewife, said that she prefers to buy everything from hypermarkets. “I find everything there — clothes, items for school, and food. They have good offers and they have lots of choices. You can pick up what you want at an affordable price,” she said.
Umm Muhammad believes that traders and banks will be the only ones to benefit this year.
“Families are going to face financial problems. We stopped buying unnecessary things, including accessories and well-known brands. We’re prioritizing our spending. The thing is that kids need stuff for school and we all need food for Ramadan. We’ve stopped buying meat and instead buy chicken and fish,” she said.
Yusra, a mother of four, said she has to buy uniforms for her daughters and also stock up on food for Ramadan. “My husband pays the expenses of two houses. One is ours and the second is his dad’s. I didn’t want to make it more difficult and so decided to buy stuff for school from SR2 shops. I also decided to slow down on Ramadan buying and buy clothes for Eid now. Prices tend to rise during Ramadan,” she said.
Muhammad said he has managed to convince his children to reuse their last year’s schoolbags, shoes, uniforms and stationery. “They agreed under one condition that I would buy them everything after Ramadan. I did this because I don’t have a fixed salary and I also don’t want to take out a loan,” he said.
Nouf, a mother of five, said she would sell her gold if things get bad. Her husband is a taxi driver and is paid poorly. “My kids’ needs and happiness is more important to me than my gold,” she said.
Umm Khaled said she has asked her son not to ask for anything. “I’ve got SR12,000 rent to pay. I can’t afford anything at this moment,” she said.
Umm Walid, a supervisor at a charity club, said that she felt it was necessary to add school items to goody bags that they prepare to distribute to people during Ramadan. “I haven’t felt much happier than when the children opened their bags and were surprised to see school stationery and stuff. Mothers also felt glad as they said they were in need for such stuff,” she said.
“The seasons clash and the high prices have made it worse for these families,” she added.
Grandmother Umm Ibrahim said that people are struggling because they have become demanding. “In the past everything was simple while now everything is expensive and exhausting,” she said.
Jameela, a mother of three, said she and her friends tend to buy Ramadan goods from shops close to Bab Makkah in Jeddah. “The prices are competitive there. The four of us go together and buy everything we need. This year we’ve added school items to our list to save some cash,” she said.
Umm Ahmad, a mother of seven, said that she prefers to buy from street sellers, adding that she finds everything she needs at low prices.