Some expats left with no means to celebrate Eid
JEDDAH: DIANA AL-JASSEM
Published — Friday 9 August 2013
Many expats have not celebrated Eid this year due to low salaries, taxes, inflation and new labor laws, all of which have culminated in a drastic cut to their salaries.
Economists estimate that Saudis allocate 40 percent of their salaries to Eid expenses.
Indeed, spending on entertainment parks in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam has been estimated to amount to SR200 million per day.
"I struggle to celebrate Eid with my family every year, but this year, it has become impossible. We expats are facing an exceptionally hard time in the Kingdom, as we have to pay SR2,400 in residency fees," says Kareem Salem, a Palestinian teacher.
He added, "The company I work for has reduced my salary by SR2,000 in order to pay fees on my behalf. Hence my salary used to be SR5,000, but I now only earn SR3,000. There is no way to cover the needs of my family or even to meet the minimum requirements. Even when I tried to find another job to increase my salary, the Ministry of Labor came up with new laws that prohibit us from working without being under the sponsorship of employers."
Doha Al-Murshedi, an Egyptian pharmacist, said it has become increasingly difficult to celebrate Eid, adding that she expects that next year will be even tougher than this year.
"I am very saddened by the current financial situation. Inflation is increasing on a monthly basis, while expats are losing more and more money due to new labor laws and the high purchasing power of Saudis," she said.
According to Al-Murshedi, Saudis are contributing to price increases since their purchasing power is very high, causing a negative impact on expats.
Arab News found that chalets and resorts had been fully booked a few weeks before Eid, with daily prices ranging between SR3,500 and SR5,000 per day. The management of some resorts decided to rent each chalet for the whole five-day vacation and refused to rent chalets for three days or less. In addition, most resorts have increased the prices by 100 percent.
The new projects on the Corniche have also hiked the prices of services on offer along the coast.
"In the past, we used to gather on the Corniche and bring food from home or low-priced meals purchased from restaurants. This year, people are not allowed to bring their own food and have no choice but to purchase from high-cost restaurants located along the sea," says Hamid Agha, a Turkish salesman.
"I have spent a large amount of money on my sponsorship. I also struggled to pay my expenses during Ramadan, so I decided not to celebrate Eid this year. How can we possibly celebrate Eid with price hikes like this?" he said.
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