As the new academic year approaches, stores offering school supplies are full of customers despite a noticeable increase in stationery prices. A dozen 40-page notebooks costs SR11, much to the consternation of concerned parent Ali Cariri. “I used to pay no more than eight riyals and now it's 11. And that's for the cheapest type,” he said. “The better quality ones cost 14 riyals, and if you want good quality 60-page notebooks, they cost SR18.” The rise in prices for basic school stationery, Cariri noted, was across the board. Fahd Al-Hakami knows who to blame. “It's the store owners who are making the most of this back-to-school period, hiking up the prices for people whose pockets have already been hurt by Ramadan and the Eid holidays,” he said. One indignant lady agreed. “This year is different,” she said. “Prices are higher than ever. There needs to be some sort of intervention on the part of authorities to protect students and parents from the greed of stationery store owners.” “There is no official body to monitor the prices,” remarked Haidar Ahmad, a student. “Prices are very high, and they differ from shop to shop.” – Okaz __
