The low-paid workers find this holiday an opportunity to earn more than double what they would earn in wages in a year, according to a Bangladeshi worker.
There are hawkers from Arab and non-Arab countries. They sell recharge cards, food and cold drinks in Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina. Many others sell cheap trinkets to pilgrims in Makkah.
Abdul Raheem, a young Bangladeshi worker at a Jabal Omar construction site, said he found selling mobile recharge cards most convenient.
He said many pilgrims did not realize the cards are available at local convenience stores. “I get a lot of money from this work,” he said. “I guess I have already earned from this work double my annual income from my job at the construction site.”
He said selling cards does not attract the police as much as selling of trinkets on streets.
An Indian worker, Hamza, who peddled fast food to pilgrims in Arafat and Muzdalifah, said he sold food packets at double the actual price. He said he bought the food from restaurants in Makkah and carried them to the holy sites. Bringing the food from Makkah and selling them in the crowd without being detected by vigilant health officials is not an easy task, he added.
Another man said he sold recharge cards away from the central zone because detectives are likely to be less active in the inner districts.
Yemeni pilgrim Al-Ahdal said he bought recharge cards from peddlers because it was difficult for him to go looking for the stalls of telephone companies.
He said, however, he never bought food from peddlers as such food packets are stale or unhygienic.
Egyptian doctor Muhammad Zakaria said eating unhygienic meals sold on pavements might cause disease.
