Many bookstores and libraries here are no longer stocking foreign newspapers because of poor sales.

Most hypermarkets and bookstores used to sell Financial Times, Daily Mail, Le Monde and other foreign newspapers and magazines. Several store supervisors at shops in Jeddah told Arab News their managers told them to remove the newspapers because of declining sales.

Many expatriates do not buy these papers because they cost SR20 each, the supervisors told Arab News.

Essam Al-Aawar, a Lebanese national who lives in Jeddah, told Arab News he was unhappy because he can no longer get a copy of Financial Times every week.

“We have stopped selling foreign newspapers in our stores because sales have gone down. Most readers prefer to buy local newspapers or magazines. Many readers do not want to pay SR20 for a newspaper that does not cover local affairs,” Ahmed Khalaf, a worker at a major bookstore told Arab News.

“Yes, we have removed the section with foreign newspapers which was occupying a large part of our store because of poor sales. It is clear that most readers in the Kingdom are not keen to buy them,” said Abdullah Abdul Monem, an Egyptian worker, at a local hypermarket.

Hypermarkets and bookstores still stock foreign fashion magazines because of huge demand from women buyers.