Traditional shops and stores in the cities of Al-Khobar and Dammam in the Eastern Province are stocking up on goods in preparation for the expected rush of Bahraini Eid shoppers. These establishments sell cheap goods during the holiday season and have become major attractions to many Bahraini families. In Dammam, bargain hunters will find a variety of stores with discounts of up to 40 percent. Clothing for men, women and children is cheap and is the biggest sales attractions. Establishments here are importers of dresses, shirts, pants, and other clothing. Shops that sell assorted items and merchandize at five riyals or ten riyals a piece are also favorite destinations for Bahraini shoppers. They find the products here much cheaper than in their own country. “It is going to be big sales again. Bahraini shoppers will come in to snap up our goods,” said Jamal who runs the Dammam Exhibition Center with his brother Ahmad. The brothers are excited by the prospect of better business. “Our buyers are the common, ordinary citizens who spend not less than SR500 per visit, shopping for their children and families,” Ahmad pointed out. “Right now buyers are coming because they have to wear those dresses, shirts and pants during the Eid days,” said Jamal. A number of enterprising Bahrainis buy in bulk and resell the items in Bahrain at higher prices. “We do not make any distinction about who our buyers are. It is just business for us and for them it is probably just business too,” Jamal said. Traditional Saudi items, like dates, nuts, fruit and vegetables are also in demand. At the other end of the causeway, Bahrain's shopping malls and high-end department stores have been spruced up to receive holiday makers and visitors from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. World-class shopping malls, like the popular Al-Seef Mall and Bahrain Mall, which have brand name stores within their enclaves, have set up promotional events to lure shoppers. Hotels and entertainment companies have also prepared shows for families, most of whom will be spending two to three days in Manama. To handle the influx of cars, the King Fahd Causeway Authority has set up eight special cabins for families traveling during the Eid Al-Adha holiday which starts on Friday. The move is expected to significantly reduce congestion and make the immigration processing faster and easier, according to causeway authorities.
