“We are trying our best to benefit from the event. Several programs will be launched to attract as many customers and tourists as possible,” said Abdullah Sultan, assistant general manger of IN10SO, a popular car racing and entertainment center at Serafi Mega Mall.
“The minimum entrance fee is SR20 per person. Other services will be charged at normal prices, which will not change during the competition,” he added.
According to Sultan, watching World Cup matches in malls and at coffeehouses is popular among Saudi families.
“Watching football in shopping malls and cafés is very popular here. This has encouraged us to have two wide halls for families. Each hall can accommodate 250 people. The fact that Saudi Arabia is not participating in the World Cup will not affect us negatively,” Sultan said.
“As we receive lots of Saudi families, we noticed that there is a need to cater to the youth and to have a separate hall for them. There are two large digital projectors in each of these halls,” he said.
Panasonic and IN10SO have got together to set up 103-inch screens, the largest in the world, for people to watch the tournament. “We have earmarked a special entrance for youths who are not allowed to use the main entrance. Families can enter from the mall’s main gate.
There will also be increased security at entrances and in the halls to ensure visitors are safe, he said.
Rabe’a, a popular coffee shop in Jeddah, has still not fixed its prices for the duration of the World Cup.
“We will not set prices. We want to see what type of prices other coffeehouses offer this season,” said the café’s cashier Ramadan Mohammed. “The prices are not controlled. The Ministry of Commerce has never asked us to fix prices,” he added.
The situation seems different in malls with families able to watch matches for free. “We will have special digital projectors and screens around the mall. Only families will be allowed to enter. To avoid any possible problems, youths will be banned,” said Anas Al-Serafi, general manger of Serafi Mega Mall.
Al-Serafi confirmed there is no need for additional security, as single men are not allowed to enter.
The management at Red Sea Mall has finished preparing for the World Cup but is undecided over whether to allow single men or not. “We will broadcast the World Cup matches via three big screens. All visitors will be able to watch the matches,” said Ahmad Al-Bar, marketing manager at the mall.
“We used to allow youths to enter the mall every day except during the weekend. We cannot decide whether to allow them to enter the mall during the World Cup. There is no law preventing them from entering,” he said.
Khaled Al-Harthi, head of the Hospitality Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said cafés have the right to increase prices. “They are at liberty to increase prices as they see fit … most coffeehouses change their decor a few months before the World Cup. This costs money,” Al-Harthi said.
“Broadcasting the World Cup costs money. Cafés need to pay fees to ART, buy additional TV screens and organize space for people,” he added.
He also welcomed the establishing of additional halls to receive families and youths. “Gathering both families and youths in the same place to watch World Cup matches is an important task. We’ve never faced gender-mixing problems inside restaurants and cafés for many years,” said Al-Harthi.
Saudi Arabia has participated in four previous World Cups: World Cup USA 1994, World Cup France 1998, World Cup South Korea and Japan 2002 and World Cup Germany 2006.
