MAKKAH, 11 November 2004 — Traders in Makkah markets have estimated purchases of Saudis as well as foreign pilgrims during this Ramadan at more than SR4 billion, with market analysts expecting as much as 60 percent rise in sales of readymade dress compared to last year.
Abdullah Suleiman Al-Mashat, owner of a chain of readymade dress shops in the Kingdom, attributed the rise in sales to an increase in the number of foreign pilgrims and liquidity of Saudis.
“Egyptians purchase a large number of clothes after the government slashed customs tariff by 100 percent on readymade dresses carried by pilgrims,” he said and estimated the number of Egyptian pilgrims at 40 percent of the total.
Mansour Abu Rayash, owner of a number of residential and commercial buildings in Makkah, said he observed pilgrims making most purchasing in the last 10 days of Ramadan before leaving the Kingdom to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr in their respective countries.
Faidh Al-Hashdi, owner of several jewelry shops in Makkah and Jeddah, said the sales of gold in the Kingdom go up during Ramadan as many pilgrims, especially those from Africa, buy a large amount of gold and jewelry.
According to Abdullah Bin Mahfouz, owner of Bin Mahfouz shops in Makkah, Africans prefer 22 carat gold and jewelry, which account for about 60 percent of sales in the Kingdom’s gold market.
