SCTH grants woman tea seller stall after city bans street trade

MADINAH — The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has intervened in the case of a Saudi woman who was banned by the Municipality of Madinah from selling tea in streets. The commission decided to provide Jumana Makki with a permanent stall to continue her work, Al-Madina newspaper reported on Saturday. A source said the municipality took action against Makki after reports about the woman and her daughters selling tea on King Abdulaziz Road in Madinah appeared in local newspapers. “King Abdulaziz Road is known for its fast-paced traffic. Makki began her business to make a living and to avoid having to financially depend on others. However, the municipality removed her table on the busy road,” said the source. Makki said a municipality employee told her that the civic authorities did not know she was selling tea in the area until a newspaper published her story. Makki said the municipality employee threw her personal belongings to the floor and yelled at her. He told her that she had committed a legal violation and deserved to be thrown in jail. She confronted the employee by asking what wrong she had done to deserve such treatment. "The employee told her that she obstructed traffic with her table when an important person passed by,” said the source. The source said Makki is a widow with two sons and four daughters to support. Makki is the sole provider for the family. In addition to the house rent, she has to pay for her children's transportation. She applied for many jobs without success before starting the trade of selling tea, which she found fruitful one. Makki said she cannot afford to rent a place and open a stall. "She had asked the authorities to provide her a kiosk or a permanent corner for her to sell tea,” said the source. The source added SCTH President Prince Sultan Bin Salman granted Makki a temporary corner to sell tea in Al-Salam Festival and a permanent corner in the cultural district in King Fahd Park. “The SCTH president said it is the commission’s duty to help hardworking citizens. Makki thanked Prince Sultan and the Saudi people for being compassionate by retweeting her story, which was trending internationally,” said the source. Makki said since she started the business her living conditions had remarkably improved. Makki brews tea and some types of coffee on firewood. She is helped by her university-going daughters. "I broached the idea with my daughters while we were talking about how to improve our living conditions, especially with the rising costs and the difficulty of finding an office job," Makki told Al-Madina in a previous interview.