Dressed to keep warm Two young boys pose in their winter outfits in a Riyadh department store Thursday. (Courtesy photo by K.N. Wasif) RIYADH: Large supplies of winter clothing have hit the market in Riyadh amid concerns about freezing weather forecast for the Central Province and other parts of the Kingdom. Unlike last winter, the mercury is expected to fall to near freezing levels, according to a recent announcement by the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) which said that parts of Saudi Arabia would experience temperatures of between one to four degrees Celsius. Leading shopping malls, readymade garment stores and street vendors in Riyadh are displaying a variety of winter clothing for all ages, such as jackets, long fur coats and sweaters. Residents can be seen bracing for a cold winter by shopping for woolen caps, mufflers, gloves, and thick socks to keep themselves warm. It is a common sight during winter to see people buying a C-shaped device that is worn like headphones to protect the ears from extreme cold. The Chinese-made product is in great demand and is available in most stores. Street vendors sell it for SR2 while stores price it between SR3 and SR5. According to market sources, the price of readymade garments including winter clothing is higher this year and will continue to go up as a result of the increased cost of material and labor in exporting countries as well as new customs regulations introduced recently in the Kingdom. A price rise of between 20 percent and 50 percent is most likely, they said, due mainly to demurrage charges levied at the ports for delay in clearance. Shehim Muhammad, the commercial manager of a Riyadh department store, said that the Ministry of Trade has introduced a new regulation which requires importers of readymade garments to send samples for lab testing. This has caused some delay as stocks are held up at the Kingdom's ports with dealers having to pay extra storage charges. Another reason for the increase in the price of readymade garments was the fluctuation in international currencies, such as the US dollar and Chinese yuan, he said.
