Saudi families turn to street markets for a decent living

RIYADH — More and more Saudi men are encouraging their wives and children to get involved in their businesses as a means of supplementing their incomes and one particularly popular business is street markets. But vendors complain of harassment by officials keen to shut down street vendors, Al-Riyadh newspaper reports. Abdullah Al-Qahtani, 59, is disabled and with his pension no longer sufficient to provide for him and his family, began selling traditional dishes in street markets around the city. “I had to find another means to make money. I began selling traditional dishes in street markets. My wife and I prepare the dishes at home and then go out to the markets and sell them,” said Al-Qahtani. He said the support of his wife made his business thrive and grow. “She supports me and our 14 children. We sometimes get harassed by people on the streets for letting my wife stand next to me and sell our products with me. We also get harassed by the municipality. They often seize our products and ask us to leave the place. We need support for our business,” said Al-Qahtani. Talal Al-Qoud, 56, struggles to find a place to sell his products. “I turned my car into a tent and I drive it around and set it up as a shop. My wife and children help me out. They travel with me in the car. We are often harassed by the municipality and the police. We need support from the authorities. We need to be given a place where we can sell our products and make a living,” said Al-Qoud. Zaid Al-Shammary said he sells tea, coffee and some traditional dishes. He too complains of harassment by the municipality. “I am in need of support from the municipality, but they never came to my aid. All I receive from them is discouragement. I am willing to meet their hygiene regulations in order to receive a license to practice what I do. They should regulate street selling activities to ensure that we all have safe and legal places to sell our products,” said Al-Shammary.