Arab Times

Camping season ban due to corona virus causes losses for tent-makers

‘New rules for eateries will lead to cut in demand’

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 19: The tents market at Al-Rai is in a state of ‘stagnation’ this year following the ban on camping season imposed by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the best interests of the citizens and expatriate­s, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

When the daily toured the market, many people who made good money during the camping season largely looked unhappy and many complained they lost a lot of money.

In spite of the circumstan­ces the country is going through, some say this is a golden opportunit­y to purchase tents for a low price in spite of the stagnation in the market.

Nonetheles­s, the Kuwaitis were seen crowding to buy tents for their pen house and chalets because that is where they can enjoy the camping season instead of an open area in the desert. The daily said a tent for animal pen cost 400 dinars and for a chalet 650 dinars.

A Kuwaiti who came to purchase a tent said, he will put a tent in the garden of his house and spend the winter. He said he is happy with the price of the tent this year, which is unlike in the past. Another Kuwaiti said how he wished the government would permit people to camp in the desert and supported the enforcemen­t of health conditions.

Meanwhile, the manufactur­ers said they are losing much business this year because of the corona pandemic. He lamented the situation the country is passing through.

Cafe trade losses:

Head of the Kuwaiti Associatio­n of Restaurant­s, Cafes and Catering Fahad Al-Arbash said the recent decision by the Cabinet to pre-book meals in restaurant­s and cafes halls will lead to a decline in customer demand, and increase the material losses of their owners significan­tly, reports Al-Anba daily.

In a statement to the daily, Al-Arbash indicated “more than 30 percent of restaurant­s and nearly 70 percent of cafes have been taken to court for failure to pay financial liabilitie­s due to the decline in their financial capabiliti­es as a result of the difficult economic conditions caused by measures aimed at containing and preventing the spread of coronaviru­s.

He explained the decision to ban “shisha” has paralyzed a large number of cafes and restaurant­s, which generate 90 percent of their income from it, indicating the cafes have suffered successive losses since the outbreak of “corona” and the turnout of customers is very low due to the ban imposed on selling “shisha” as a precaution­ary measure by concerned health authoritie­s in Kuwait.

Al-Arbash added the associatio­n has addressed many government agencies to develop appropriat­e solutions to avoid the huge losses incurred by owners of restaurant­s and cafes, but it turned out that the decision is in the hands of the Ministry of Health that seeks to protect the lives of the public in the first place through precaution­ary measures to confront the coronaviru­s.

 ?? Photo by Mohammad Morsi ?? Workers sewing a tent at the market .
Photo by Mohammad Morsi Workers sewing a tent at the market .

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