Sweet sales rise ahead of Eid

Eid sweets are one of the basic necessities during the festive season. Candy has underscored the joy of the arrival of Eid for as long as can be remembered. They are offered to everyone regardless of age, but children always get the lion’s share. They are a form of celebration and hospitality and are usually offered with bitter Arabic coffee.
Amin Abu Sabien, 70, was one of the first to import and sell sweets in Jeddah. He owns one of the oldest Ramadan stalls for sweets. These temporary sale points are erected starting on Ramadan 20 (July 29) in Jeddah’s Qabil Street. People start buying their supply of Eid sweets during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Abu Sebain inherited this business from his father, who worked in it for more than 60 years. He has accompanied his father to this same spot since he was 10 years old.
“Customers usually buy in bulk. Their favorites are Swiss chocolates, priced at SR 100 to 120 per kilo, then Belgian chocolates at SR80 to 100, then Turkish chocolate at SR70 to 80 and Lebanese at SR60 to 70,” he said.
As for sweets, people prefer toffee in different flavors such as chocolate, cherry, apple and lemon, priced at SR40 to 50 per kilo. People like to purchase delights in their different flavors. Hijazi Deibazah is in demand during Eid Al-Fitr. Deibazah is prepared from dried apricots, dates and mixed nuts like Hijazi almonds, cashews, pistachios and cooked by women for long hours. People buy it at SR40 to 50 per bowl.
According to Abu Sebain, profits from sweet sales reached SR1 billion last year.
Hassan Abdullah Ali, an employee at the US Consulate in Jeddah, said such a commodity is essential during Eid. “I buy Eid sweets with my family on the eve of Eid to enjoy the spirit of the season. I like to buy sweets from the city center even though I live in Al-Rehab, which is quite far and congested. I only like to buy from the stalls spread around the streets to feel the Eid spirit. I usually allocate SR600 to 700 for sweets, because I have a large family who all enjoy Eid and its sweets,” he added.