Manama Souq abuzz with back-to-school shoppers
Manama : The Manama traditional market is abuzz with back-to-school shoppers since last week and the rush is expected to continue till the end of the weekend.
“Tailors and stationary shops have been the busiest at the souq in the past couple of days,” said Manama Traditional Market Committee Deputy Chairman Mahmood Al Namliti, adding, the back-to-school season coincided with the Eid Al Adha holidays, which made the shopping even busier.
“The back to school season is always a busy time for the souq. We witnessed a huge influx of shoppers in the past week. There is no sign of slowing down, this weekend is expected to be quite busy as well,” he told DT News.
“Tailoring shops have been busy as the students need to have their uniforms made. Some private schools have rules that require even the headscarf need to pass a certain criteria. So the students have to have them custom-made from a tailor. The stationary shops, as you would expect, are experiencing brisk business,” he said.
He said that those who are returning from Hajj have been busy shopping at the souq. “Those who went for Hajj have returned and they have been purchasing gifts from the Manama souq to gift their family and relatives. Pilgrims may not have shopped in Mecca as it’s a busy place. Instead, they shop here,” he said.
Security enhanced
Deputy Director-General of Traffic Colonel at General Directorate of Traffic Mohammed Ali Daraj said that the department had held various programmes and events to enhance the efficiency of traffic and community police, while school guards were trained to ensure the safety of students in coordination with concerned bodies.
He said that the directorate has set a backup plan for police patrols at junctions, traffic signals and pedestrian lines during the rush hours to facilitate traffic flow. He urged drivers to avoid wrong practices on main roads to ensure the safety of all road users and the importance of the cooperation of drivers and parents with community police and school guards near schools.
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