Ismail, a Yemeni trader in Balad, said he prepares for this time of the year six months in advance by writing down the items he will need.

“We write everything down and send someone to China or Dubai where we buy the quantities we need and wait until the goods arrive here. We then inform our customers, some of whom are from other parts of the Kingdom and abroad,” he said.

Some schools have a conservative approach to school uniform and insist students are dressed in black and white, said Um Ahmad.

“We used to keep our eldest daughter’s stuff to reuse the following year,” said Um Ahmad, whose daughter now refuses to wear what she wore last year.

Um Ahmad was out shopping in the Khaskia Market looking for ribbons and socks for her daughters, hoping to get items at a cheaper price than in malls in the northern areas of Jeddah.

Street peddlers, many of them Indonesian women, are also selling handmade ribbons in the Khaskia Market.

“We buy the ribbons from shops in Bab Makkah, work on them a little and sell them on to people who come from small towns and places such as Makkah, Taif and Madinah,” said one Indonesian woman who had set up a stall using cardboard boxes.

The woman, along with over 20 others in the same location, was selling and working on ribbons simultaneously, wrapping them, stapling them and packing them to look just as neat and fashionable as those sold in air-conditioned stores.

“I’ve been in this business for over 10 years,” said one Indonesian man. “We used to display the ribbons on major streets in the Balad area. However, as the municipality is now keeping an eye on us and preventing us from selling in streets we’ve moved to the crowded alleys,” he added.

The man, who was willing to speak to Arab News unlike the women, said he has been preparing ribbons for over four months. “We gather in our homes and prepare the ribbons which both men and women work on with their creative skills to make flowers and decorative styles by adding beads,” he said.

He added that they begin selling the ribbons a week before schools start and that their customers are very loyal and include school principals and traders from nearby towns. The ribbons are sold in bulk for SR30 a dozen.

Black and white hair-clips, ribbons, socks and shoes are now on display everywhere, not only in the downtown but also in the most prestigious shops at the northern areas of Jeddah. The only difference, however, is in the price.