JEDDAH: There are complaints a market project in southern Jeddah is not helping the low-income women it was originally set up to support. The Jeddah municipality and Bab Rizq Jameel had established market stalls near the Jeddah-Makkah highway in Prince Abdul Majeed district.
Head of Bab Rizq Jameel Ali Al-Qahtani has hit back at the claims, claiming the project gives priority to struggling women in the area.
Five years ago some women came up with the idea to sell goods in an area that was popular with pedestrians, particularly pregnant women. The area now has over 40 women selling in it. Al-Qahtani added they later supplied the stalls with electricity, tables, drawers and doors. He added the whole area was being used and not just a small portion, as is the case now.
The sparsely-populated area has two sections: One with the regular stalls; and another that has women who are either not included in the project because they are non-Saudis or are Saudis but do not want to pay rent. Al-Gahtani said they give priority in their project to Saudi women, although they would involve non-Saudis in the future.
Despite the area not being in a commercial location, Al-Qahtani said the women did not complain as many of them lived nearby. Stallholder Om Khaled said she travels everyday from the nearby village of Bahra to sell her handmade products that include Saudi traditional cloths, incense, and spices.
She complained the project did not help her despite paying SR250 monthly, although other women in the area who were not registered in the project would keep all the profit for themselves. She claimed they had not gone despite official promises to force them out.
Om Khaled also volunteers to protect women and young girls from being harassed by young men until project officials act.
“I work as a security guard here and I call up the police if necessary,” said Om Khaled laughing. Al-Qhatani rejected complaints about the monthly rent, saying the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry was still considering its level. He added a final decision had not been made.
Another saleswoman Om Abdul Rahman said the officials refused to implement the women’s demands, which included allowing them to have doors to lock their stalls to protect their goods. She complained this meant they had to carry their goods to and from home.
Al-Qhatani said that they had taken these complaints into consideration, adding the women had initially moaned about the sun, heat and dust.
