Fast-food chains starved for customers during Ramadan

[email protected] (Arab News)
June 4, 2017

Jeddah, Jun 4: Let's face it. Saudis love their fast food. McDonald's, Hardee's and KFC are all wildly successful in the Middle East market, but are American fast food chains compatible with the very Middle Eastern rituals of Ramadan?ff

Not so much. For reasons only Arabs can explain, American fast food is not a good fit when it comes to traditional Middle Eastern food during Ramadan and other cultural and religious rituals.

Fast-food chains entice observers of the fast during the holy month of Ramadan with lower prices and all-you-can-eat offers. But is that enough to replace home-cooked meals with fried chicken and pizza?

Fast-food chains provide instant gratification for families on the go, and especially commuters on the way home from work as they try to get their takeaway before the restaurants close for prayer. But during Ramadan it is a far different story. Families breaking fast at sunset prefer home-cooked meals at home and reserve eating out for special occasions.

Ramadan is celebrated annually by Muslims who fast for about 30 days as the fourth pillar of Islam. Muslims refrain from eating, drinking beverages and smoking from sunrise — at Fajr prayer — until sunset when they break the fast for iftar.

Naif Al-Jabally, a supervisor for one of the McDonald's restaurants in Jeddah, told Arab News that fast-food chains take a huge hit in food sales during Ramadan. Nearly every restaurant in the Kingdom is closed until after Asr prayer around 4 p.m.

Most fast food chains attempt to attract customers during Ramadan by offering special meals that include dates and with affordable prices as they remain closed during the day and open only in the evening.

McDonald's, which has a delivery service year-round, offers deliveries during Ramadan from 9 p.m. to dawn. Yet marketing fast food during the holy month does not always work.

“There are way more customers during normal days (the rest of the year) than during Ramadan,” Al-Jabally said. “During Ramadan, we open at 5:30 p.m.”

And when customers do order a Ramadan meal, it is usually from the regular menu.

“There is no noticeable demand for the Ramadan meal,” Al-Jabally said.

Maha Nasir, 45, told Arab News that she likes to enjoy iftar outside the home, but at a restaurant that serves quality food. “We love to have iftar outside with the family once a week,” she said. “We like to go to the open buffet of any restaurant.”

Al-Baik, a Saudi favorite with a reputation for attracting crowds of patrons, also struggles during Ramadan.

“Customers are usually much more in number during the year than in Ramadan,” said a cashier at a Jeddah Al-Baik branch, who noted that the number of customers drop by nearly half during Ramadan.

In fact, Al-Baik makes no attempt to market Ramadan meals to its customers, preferring to stand by its main menu of roasted chicken and deep-fried shrimp.

Al-Tazaj jumps on the Ramadan bandwagon with a SR6 meal that includes dates, Laban, sambosa, soup, water, green salad and Arabic coffee.

Pizza Hut has a special Ramadan Box offer for SR89 that throws in sambosa with its regular pizza selections.

Restaurant operators, however, generally recognize that a fast-food meal defeats the purpose of iftar, which should be a light meal with perhaps something heavier later in the evening.

Maha Nasir makes it a point to avoid all fast-food establishments.

“My kids and I avoid fast-food during Ramadan as the meal because it will be full of fat and that is not good for our stomach. Iftar should be healthy. It can be grilled and contains salad or soup.”

For most families, Ramadan means home, family, fresh and home-cooked food.

Nora Al-Sabea, 29, and the mother of five, told Arab News that it is all about being at home.

“I don't prefer iftar outside unless there is a family gathering,” she said.

But then, like every parent who is outnumbered by the children, they sometimes cave in to pressure.

“I prefer the food I cook myself. No way will there be fast-food unless the kids are insisting.”

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News Network
May 5,2020

Dubai, May 5: A Saudi ministerial decision issued on Monday allows companies in the private sector to reduce salaries by 40 per cent and allows termination of contracts owing to the economic hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to daily newspaper Al Sharq Awsat.

The new decision was still not published by the cabinet according to the newspaper.

The decision which the newspaper saw a copy of was signed by Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to regulate the labour contract in the current period, allows employers to reduce the employees salaries by 40 percent of the actual effective wage for a period of 6 months, in proportion to the hours of work and allowing the termination of employee contract after 6 months of the COVID-19 circumstances.

The new decision has also included a provision in which the employer would be allowed to cut wages even he or she benefits from the subsidy provided by the goverment, such as those for helping pay workers wages or exemption from government fees.

The decision also stressed that employers are not allowed to terminate any employee, unless three conditions are met.

1.            First the passing of six months since the measures of salary cut has been taken

2.            Reducing pay, annual leave and exceptional leave were all used

3.            Company proves that its facing financial troubles due to the circumstances.

The memo, which goes into affect as soon as its published in the government’s official newspaper, ensures that the employee will receive his/her salary if on annual leave within the period of 6 months.

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News Network
June 23,2020

Riyadh, June 23: Saudi Arabia has decided to go ahead with the Hajj pilgrimage with strict health measures and protocols in an effort to prevent the spread of covid-19.

Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Muhammad Saleh Benten today addressed a joint virtual press conference today. 

Minister of Hajj expected that number of domestic pilgrims performing the pilgrimage this year will not be more than 10,000. He also confirmed that no pilgrims from outside the Kingdom will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.

Dr. Al-Rabiah said pilgrims should be less than 65 years of age and not suffering from any chronic diseases.

The Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, will this year only welcome a “limited number” of people from inside the Kingdom, authorities had said on Monday.

Every year, about 2.5 million pilgrims visit the holiest sites of Islam in Makkah and Madinah, which could make it a possible breeding ground for the disease.

To prevent COVID-19 from spreading among pilgrims, the health ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, has developed the plan to ensure the safety of all visitors.

“We have worked with the Ministry of Health to develop preventative and precautionary measures and protocols that are needed to ensure a safe Hajj season,” Benten said.

Protocols:

1. No more than 10,000 people will be allowed to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

2. All pilgrims will be tested before they reach the holy sites.

3. Only those under the age of 65 will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.

4. All pilgrims will be asked to self-quarantine after they complete the Hajj rituals.

5. All workers and volunteers will be tested before the Hajj pilgrimage begins.

6. The health status of all pilgrims will be monitored daily.

7. A hospital has been prepared for any emergency that occurs during the pilgrimage.

8. Social distancing measures will be enforced.

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SAN
 - 
Tuesday, 23 Jun 2020

Please check its 1000 or 10,000

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Jeddah, Jul 31: Hajj 2020 pilgrims arrived in Muzdalifah Thursday night to rest after spending the day in Arafat.

Earlier, the pilgrims scaled Mount Arafat to pray and repent, as a highly unusual Hajj approached its climax. They listened to a sermon delivered by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manea and prayed Dhuhr and Asr prayers together at the Al-Namirah Mosque in Arafat.

This year’s pilgrimage is the smallest in modern times, after the number of participants was greatly restricted to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

Tight security was in place around the foot of the rocky hill outside Makkah, also known as Jabal Al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, in preparation for the high point of the annual ritual.

Video footage shown on state television showed the pilgrims setting off on their climb to the summit. They wore face masks and observed strict social-distancing rules imposed by Saudi authorities.As sprinklers sprayed water on them to provide relief from the summer desert heat, the pilgrims raised their palms as they climbed the slopes of the hill — the site of Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon. When they reached the top they recited holy verses and prayed for forgiveness for their sins.

Earlier, the pilgrims were taken in buses from Mina to Mount Arafat. Strict precautionary measures were in place, with each group accompanied by security teams, ambulances and civil defense vehicles. 

When they arrived, their temperatures were checked before they entered Namirah Mosque to hear a sermon that was translated into 10 languages.

“The camps were set up for pilgrims in Arafat early on,” said Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Salih Bentin. The sermon at Namirah Mosque was delivered by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manea, who led the pilgrims in noon and afternoon prayers.

“During Hajj this year, we reiterate that it is essential for pilgrims, as well as everyone assisting them, to adhere to the precautionary regulations that have been implemented,” Al-Manea, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, said during his sermon. “This is to be done for their own safety.

“Precautions have been put in place to protect lives against the damage that the pandemic can cause, and also to actualize Islam’s teachings pertaining to safeguarding human life by Allah’s permission.”

The stay in Arafat is described as the pinnacle of Hajj and Muslims around the world reflect the actions of pilgrims by asking for forgiveness and praying for their deepest desires.
Pilgrims left Arafat in coaches for Muzdalifah after sunset and will pray the Maghrib and Isha prayers there.

After sunset prayers, the pilgrims made their way down Mount Arafat to Muzdalifah, where they will spend the night before the final Hajj ritual, the symbolic stoning of the devil. 

This year, each pilgrim received sanitized pebbles in advance of the event on Friday, which is the first day of Eid Al-Adha.
This year the Kingdom faced the unprecedented challenge of ensuring pilgrims attending Hajj were protected as much as possible from the risks of the coronavirus.

They will then sleep, pray the Fajr prayer there tomorrow and then leave for Mina.

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