Sales of shemagh hit 8 million in Ramadan

Eight million Saudi shemagh (headdress for men) have been sold during Ramadan, said Abdullah Haddad, a former member of the Fabric Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Haddad said the sales of shemagh are estimated at 16 million pieces per year, but in Ramadan, the demand for shemagh increases.
Even though the shemagh is a traditional headgear for all Saudis, the local-made shemagh doesn’t attract Saudis. According to Haddad, shemagh that are highest in demand are made in China. The English-made shemagh is less in demand among Saudis.
Shop owners told Arab News that the Saudi market contains more than 170 kinds of shemagh.
“Types of shemagh vary based on the fabric colors and quality. There are some shemagh are that sold for only SR50, while others would cost SR150 or SR320,” said Hamada Omar, an Egyptian salesman in a middle-class mall.
“The prices of shemagh stay stable in most low and middle class malls, where Saudis know very well the types and the cost.”
Khalid Suhail, a Saudi salesman in a well-known shemagh shop in Rawdah district, said affluent people prefer to buy a shemagh that costs between SR300 and SR600.
“We have noticed that the youth’s taste in shemagh has changed. The new generation now prefers Saudi brands like Lomar for example. Such shemagh are made in local factories and gained popularity among the new generation,” he said.
“In my shop I am trying to cover all customers’ needs. A customer can find a shemagh that costs SR50 and another one that costs SR500.”
A recent report estimated the cost of shemagh sales in the Kingdom is at SR900 million, where 90 percent of the local production is sold inside the Kingdom. However only 10 percent of the Saudi-made shemagh are sold in other GCC countries.
Abdullah Al-Ahmari, a father of two kids, said that he had been buying Chinese shemagh for a long time for his kids.
“I used to buy the traditional shemagh for my two sons at SR50 for each. Today, my 12 and 15-year-old sons have decided to stop buying the traditional shemagh. They are looking for what they call a ‘stylish shemagh’. These shemagh are destroying my budget,” he said.
“They won’t be able to wear their Eid shemagh to school either. Schools do not allow the students to wear these new modern shemagh. Therefore, I have to allocate more money to buy school shemagh as well,” he said.