RIYADH, 13 April 2007 — Believe it or not there are religious books and works of classical literature on sale for no more than SR1 in the market at Haraj Ibn Gasim, south Riyadh near the Arriyadh Bus Terminal.
Abu Waleed, a Saudi who sells used books and other items, told Arab News that he has been working in the Haraj for more than 20 years. “I bring these books from an auction held near here every week or so, sometimes from big libraries in the Riyadh area. I buy a large quantity to keep them in storage and then bring them here and sell them for from SR1 to SR15 a piece.”
Abu Waleed said the place is well known because anyone can sell whatever he wants. “I sell everything — books, shoes, videotapes, cassettes, recorders and clothes — and everything is used. I guarantee nothing and I have no idea what the books are about. Usually, I sell them by their size and weight. I am here from Monday to Friday every week and I have books worth more than SR30,000 in my store.”
Some books are brought here by people who just want to get rid of them, said the vendor, but whenever he buys books, he wants to make sure they are not stolen so he records the person’s name, ID and phone numbers just to be on the safe side.
“My customers are from all walks of life. Saudis and other Arabs come to me from all over Riyadh. I have good customers who came regularly to buy from these collections. Some of them spend hours reading and selecting what they want. Some ask me about the kinds of books that I have, but I tell them that I don’t know anything about the books except that I am selling them. I usually allow them to read, look and examine before they buy,” he explained.
An Egyptian said he came every week to buy books. “When I find valuable books, I buy them at a good price. I usually stick to new editions of religious books which are well printed. You find books in every field — poetry, history, science and even literature. I was amazed once to find a work by Naguib Mahfouz which I bought and later sold.”
A Saudi customer observed that it was very sad to see books, especially religious ones, next to shoes, with both being sold in the same place. “I think this is not the right place to sell books. They should be treated with respect and sold only in special places, even here in the Haraj. The man who is selling the books doesn’t know the value of any of them; all he is interested in is selling and making a profit.”
