Food merchants and exporters have reassured consumers that food supplies will be sufficient during Haj.

There will be fewer domestic and foreign pilgrims, leading to a drop in the sale of foodstuff compared to last year.

Saif Alislam Sharbatly, chairman of food products at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, said: “Merchants have been getting ready for this Haj since the last Haj season ended.”

He said there will be a 10 percent increase in food imports during Haj and that the prices will remain stable.

However, Nashawa Taher, chairperson of the commercial committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, expects a slight rise in prices during Haj.

Taher said that global fluctuations in the price of consumer items and the high rental volume of piers used to stack a backlog of goods at the Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) could contribute to a slight increase in prices. She said that the cost of land transportation had risen because of the political unrest in neighboring countries.

“Transportation costs rose dramatically from SR800 to SR2,000 for a single truck,” said Taher. “Add to this the increased price of insurance documents for vehicles entering Saudi Arabia. What you have is a potential price increase in the cost of imported goods,” she said.

Wasif Kabli, a member of the trade committee and an importer of foodstuffs, said this Haj season will be different because of the reduced number of pilgrims. “Fewer pilgrims means less sales,” he said. He said that the purchasing power of pilgrims is expected to decrease by up to 30 percent.

“Supply will exceed demand and there will be no shortage of foodstuff this season,” he added.