The record heat and humidity in the Eastern province has seen a dramatic 70 percent rise in the sales of soft drinks. August has so far been the hottest month of the year. With the high humidity and soaring temperatures, there has been an increasing demand for various branded juices, and carbonated soft drinks, to quench the thirst of Muslims at Iftar. According to market sources, some soft drink companies in the Eastern Province may record 60 percent of their yearly sales during Ramadan this year. Supermarket and hypermarket salespersons told Saudi Gazette they have been selling large quantities of cold drinks since the start of Ramadan. They said there is a great demand for chilled drinks, especially carbonated ones. Rather than water, the sweet and sparkling taste of these drinks is preferred for Iftar and Suhoor. Mohammed Aslam, a sales supervisor at a well-known supermarket chain, said that compared to previous months, the sale of various types of chilled soft drinks has doubled since Ramadan started. Most restaurants and cafeterias selling fresh juice have started selling soft drinks because of the demand from customers. “The sales of special Ramadan drinks, such as Vimto and “qamaruldeen”, have also increased this year. Another special drink, “rooh afza”, a favorite of South Asians, has also seen an increase in sales.” Hamid Rahman, the manager of a hypermarket in Al-Khobar said: “The sales of beverages overall are unusually high this year because a day of fasting lasts for around 14.5 hours, and because of the high temperatures and humidity in this region.” Most of the mosques in the Eastern Province distribute chilled bottled water free to night time worshippers because of the climate. Doctors have advised people to have more water and cereals during Iftar and Suhoor and to avoid carbonated drinks. These drinks have a high sodium content which may increase the risk of hypertension, and they contain empty calories.
