By Saleh Fareed
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — A traditional kibdah (fried liver) stall run by Saudi female actress Wajnat Rahbini is attracting hundreds of Ramadan shoppers daily in front of Naseef House in the city’s downtown area of Balad.
The actress in her 50s is known in Saudi Arabia for her role in the satirical comedy Tash ma Tash and other TVs shows.
Stirring sizzling platters of chopped liver and onions, the actress told Saudi Gazette that she wanted to play a different role this Ramadan away from acting.
She was surrounded by fans who took snapshots and photos with her not as an actress but as a street food vendor. She said: “I have been selling fried liver for around 32 years and I had a stall in front of Jawazat (Passports Office) but had some problems with the municipality until Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, interfered and solved my problem.”
She continued “however, this year the Mayor of Jeddah, Dr. Hani Abu Rass offered me a stall in Balad to practice my other profession and I am really happy.”
She said that she will continue selling fried liver because she gains more money from liver than being as an actress.
“It is a great business and I enjoy it very much; therefore, I am determined to continue as a street food vendor,” she said.
Advising young Saudis who believe that certain jobs are not suitable for them, she said: “They should take up any job to earn a living and support themselves and their families.”
A video of Wajnat Rahbini as a fried liver vendor in Balad has been viral on social media since the first day of Ramadan.
