Friday Market features small shopkeepers, bargain prices

A weekly traditional bazaar, which officials have been planning for some time, came alive with the opening of the Friday Market alongside the Hamriya Shopping Centre yesterday. The Friday Market will run weekly from 2:30pm to midnight.
By 3.30pm most traders had set up their stalls and others were just settling down with their goods. A considerable number of nationals, especially women, were displaying their wares.
The response to the market has been good. Nearly 400 slots were earmarked for small outlets and kiosks in the open space alongside the Hamriya Shopping Centre and adjacent car park. Ultimately 800 people applied for places, double the number that could be handled.
Khalifa Hareb, Municipality head of Marketing, said, "The initial response to the Friday Market is very good. We have received 800 applications for stalls."
The only other Friday Market in the UAE is located near the Masafi Mountains on the way to Fujairah.
Municipality officials said the Friday Market would be experimental for a few weeks.
"We will see the progress and the response from the public for a few weeks, and then hopefully continue it for a longer period," said Humaid Al Marri, Director of Marketing and Abattoir.
Hareb said the stalls were provided free of charge to small companies and individuals. "We are providing the stalls with all the necessary utilities - electricity, water and a restaurant - for free," he said. "The size of each stall, as marked on the floor, is two metres in length and one metre in width.
"The products for sale included clothes, handicrafts, toys, birdcages, carpets, rugs, blankets, dry fish, herbal medicines and cosmetics. Except for perishable goods like fruits and vegetables, all other products are accepted."
Hareb said that any company or individual can apply for a stall. "We will see the applicant's product range and then allocate a space for him or her," he said.
Explaining the purpose of the bazaar, Al Marri said, "We don't have an open Friday Market in Dubai. The idea is to bring people closer in an open bazaar where goods will be sold at a cheaper price."
Ali Khalil Al Gamish, 52, who set up a large tent offering traditional Arab hospitality with tea and dates, said, "I am happy with the opening of such a market. Here we can offer traditional products at a better price."
Al Gamish, who runs Al Gamish Heritage Est, said that he also participates at the Heritage Village during the Shopping Festival. His company offers traditional products and antiques.
Trader Mohammed Fayaz, 23, was happy to get a free shop. "It's a good opportunity and I like the arrangements," he said.
A 27-year-old Bangladeshi, who has been in the UAE for 12 years, said he expected to sell a lot of goods. His company has a retail outlet in Sharjah.