Popular local souqs such as Souq Al Dira, Souq Faleh and Souq Al Asiery have seen a promising turnout of visitors since reopening recently after remaining closed for over three months due to the measures taken to curb the spread of Covid-19.
For now, these markets have one entry and exit point each with security guards posted there to ensure that customers wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks and show the ‘Green’ healthy code on the Ehteraz app, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported.
Besides, children below 12 years are not allowed into the markets as part of the precautionary and preventive measures specified by the Ministry of Commerce. There are also signs at the entrances indicating the mandatory health and safety instructions that must be followed by all on the premises.
Sellers and shop owners at these markets said the turnout gradually increased and they were sure it would further improve in the coming days. Those running gold and jewellery stores said they have had good business since reopening and people were willing to buy. Generally, hopes were high among the shop owners and managers of doing good business - which would help them make up for the hard times they faced due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Speaking to the daily, Mukhtar al-Yafi, a gold shop manager at Souq Al Dira, expressed happiness at the resumption of business and stressed that he hoped for better days in the future after a long period of closure. He added that people are also finding the gold rates “reasonable”.
Sayyid Marouf, director of a cloth shop at Souq Faleh, said he observed that the turnout of customers just after reopening was not too big but he considered it as a good start and hoped that the coming days would see a steady increase in footfall and buyers.