MINA, 2 February 2004 — Traders who have set up shop in the tent city of Mina are happy.
Money is flowing into their coffers like water as their exorbitantly priced goods find buyers. Many, dealing in bread, water and cigarettes, just carry their goods to different camps, awaiting prospective buyers. And there are many who buy from them rather than taking the long route away from their camps to shops.
Pakistani Aqeel Ali, from Karachi, said he had paid SR1 for a single, small piece of Arabic bread. To confirm this, we went out to check and came away, having bought a piece of bread for SR1. In the market, a packet of Arabic bread with six pieces sells for SR1.
This led Arab News to discover some other shocking facts. The hawkers sold a boiled egg for SR1 and a small chilled bottle of mineral water for SR3.
Sliced bread, normally used for making sandwiches and sold for SR2.5, was being sold for SR5.
Cigarette sales are banned in the tent city but if one is willing to pay SR8 for a packet — normally SR5 — it is available.
Illegal stalls have also been set up selling produce. Fruits, selected grocery and other edible items were being sold at a mark-up of 500 percent.
Similarly makeshift restaurants selling “kabsa,” fish and some Indian curry dishes were also raking in cash.
Many regular shop owners have also marked up prices and they justify their actions by saying that they are being charged high rents.
