Downtown revived by Eid Al Fitr preparations

AMMAN — Eid Al Fitr preparations have revived downtown Amman shops and restaurants, according to stakeholders.

“Eid Al Fitr themed decorations, chocolates and other sugary treats are the things that most people are currently buying from ‘Al Balad’ [Arabic expression for downtown],” said Khalifa Malak, owner of a confectionery store. 

He said that the customers are mostly buying ma’moul, dates and chocolates, and this has increased the sales at Malak’s store by almost 40 per cent during the last couple of days.

Ma’moul is a sweet and delicate cookie usually made of semolina pastry that is stuffed with date paste or nuts, being traditionally offered to guests with coffee during Eid celebrations.

At the same time, fresh fruit juice kiosks and shops experienced a remarkable growth in sales due to increased number of visitors to Al Balad since last week. 

“The last week or two maybe, we have been seeing locals and tourists coming to Downtown… and our sales have risen by around 30 per cent,” Mahmoud Sultan, an employee at a fresh juice shop based in Downtown Amman, told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

During the last days of Ramadan, the shops, whether in the downtown area or elsewhere, stay open for longer hours as customers tend to buy their Eid clothes, household items and supplies, or sweet treats after having their Iftar meal. 

Speaking with The Jordan Times, Anwar Ajrami, an employee at a local restaurant in Al Balad, said that the locals are increasingly having their Iftar in downtown especially during the days leading to Eid, as this helps them immediately start their shopping after Iftar.

“People are mostly buying quick meals like sandwiches, family sharing boxes because during the whole month, they were having family Iftar… I think that my sales have increased by approximately 15 per cent,” he said.