Many of the 56 Saudi handicraft producers who displayed their products at an exhibition here recently have urged local businesspeople to invest in their enterprises.

Alkhobar Mayor Sulaiman Al-Thunaiyyan opened the show on behalf of Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif. The four-day exhibition attracted 19,000 visitors including people from Bahrain and Kuwait. The goods on display included various handmade products, embroidery and food items.

One Saudi handicraft producer told Arab News that the Eastern Province Municipality should find a permanent space for participants so they could have shops of their own.

Another woman said: “We are Saudis and work hard to produce our handmade products. We are very professional and need businessmen and people to see our products. However, we only have a limited time here at this exhibition.”

Nora, another participant, said: “We always have difficulty marketing our products. Some of the exhibition sites are expensive and we can’t afford to book places to show our goods.”

Manahel Safar, executive president of Joanna Exhibition Organizers, said she helped organize the event to help these producers find more customers. “This is the second time we’ve held such an exhibition and I can tell you that some businessmen have signed contracts with these families worth more than SR50,000.”

However, she said that more help is needed from government and the private sector.