Vendors at a popular market in Khamis Mushayt are demanding that shop rents be reduced after the municipality moved them to a new site.

Rents at the newly relocated Haraj market range between SR1,200 and SR2,800 a month, a sharp contrast to the SR400 and SR600-a-month rent at the old site, which was relative to the vendors’ modest income, according to Mshabeb Al-Qahtani, a citizen.

“We demand that rents be reduced, toilets inside the shops be provided and roofs be renovated to cope with wind and rain,” he said.

“Adverse weather conditions have affected our stocks in the past and we still suffer a shortage of electricity connections, which is not fair to any of us vendors, who have more than 100 stores.”

The market has had a random set-up for 20 years and does not have minimum safety standards, said Khamis Mushayt Mayor Mesfer Al-Wadai.

“The municipality relocated the market through a specialized company, which adheres to specifications set by local authorities to provide more space for vendors, while the old site was put up for auction.”

Al-Wadai said that electricity, water and security costs are borne by investors and that the municipality is keen on retaining old vendors.

“Investors are aware that there is a minimum space allocation of 15 by seven meters per stall,” he said.

“Contracts were approved by both vendors and investors before being signed.”

Investors will be tasked with renovating existing facilities, which will have office space for the police, Haia and the municipality.

One investor has reported that a contract has been signed with a specialized security company to ensure that goods are not stolen.

Shop owners, meanwhile, have continued to display their goods outside their shops in contravention of a rule stipulating that merchandise be kept inside the stores.