MINA, 21 December 2007 — Najeeb Al-Mahrawi, a Moroccan who has been coming for Haj from the city of Fez for the past 15 years, sells Moroccan-made goods at a stall just outside the Jamrat complex in Mina.
Mahrawi said that he has made a lot of money selling goods at the Haj from a rented stall beneath the King Abdul Aziz Bridge.
“The stall that I rent along with my Saudi partner cost us SR17,000 for six days,” he said, pointing out to other stalls located in Majr Al-Kabsh at Mina, which are the best because of proximity to the Jamrat.
“Most of my customers during the Haj season are from the Arab Maghreb Union (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania). Moroccans in general prefer wearing their traditional clothes when they are free from the state of ihram after the stoning and the ritual shaving on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah.”
He said that he had used profits from the Haj sales to open shops in different Islamic countries. “My purchases are mainly Moroccan hand-made clothes and traditional gifts,” he added.
Mahrawi commended the attempts by the Saudi government to regulate street commerce during the Haj.
