Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Eid preparations among Palestinians in full swing in the West Bank

Eid preparations among Palestinians in full swing in the West Bank

Preparations are well underway among Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem for Eid Al-Fitr, which is expected to fall on April 21.
Markets are bustling with shoppers and many stores remain open past midnight. Confectioners, butchers, barbers, clothing and shoe stores, toy shops, jewelers, gift shops and cafes all report brisk business late into the night.

Traffic police have closed city center streets to vehicular traffic to allow more freedom of movement for shoppers and help traders who display their goods in makeshift roadside stalls.

On Tuesday, the Palestinian government gave public-sector employees an advance payment of 30 percent of their April salaries so that they can buy the Eid supplies they need. In addition, this month the government will pay them their full salary for the first time in a year, after cutting wages because of a severe financial crisis.

Meanwhile, shoppers have been faced with a sharp increase in the prices of all goods during Ramadan, a trend that is expected to continue until the end of the Eid holiday. Families on low incomes facing particular hardship have received assistance from charities during the holy month.

In the last few days of Ramadan, communal iftars continue in homes and restaurants, and the number of people making an effort to get together with family and friends has increased.

Duha Asous, from the village of Burin, near Nablus, spent Laylat Al-Qadr (the Night of Power) at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The holiest night of the year for Muslims, marking the night the Qur’an was sent from Heaven to the world, it is celebrated on one of the odd-numbered nights during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Asous then returned home to start making special Eid cakes, a tradition she inherited from her mother. On each of the last three days of the holy month she makes 4 kilograms of the date-and-walnut cakes and hands them out to neighbors, relatives and the poor.

Amer Izz Al-Din Hamdan, from the old city of Nablus, told Arab News the traffic congestion since Eid shopping began in earnest has been unprecedented this year.

“Nablus is famous for making high-quality and distinctive oriental sweets, in addition to the famous nut roasters,” he said.

“The prices are lower than those in neighboring cities while the quality is higher, so shoppers from the surrounding villages and cities rush to shop in Nablus.”

Many Palestinians living in Israel also come to shop in West Bank cities in the run-up Eid, providing the local economies with a boost.

Hamdan said he likes to go shopping with his children a week before Eid, to try to avoid the crowds. In keeping with local traditions, he buys salty fish to eat on the morning of Eid. Special seasonal cakes, chocolate, coffee and nuts are other essential hospitality items, he added, and his family also burns incense in the house on Eid morning.

“An atmosphere of joy prevails in the markets of Nablus, which are crowded with shoppers,” Hamdan said. “Most of the families leave their homes after dinner for Eid shopping.”

Ashraf Abu Eid, the owner of Al-Amin Butchery in Ramallah, told Arab News that a sharp increase in meat prices a week before the start of Ramadan had affected demand throughout the holy month.

“A kilo of veal is sold for $15 and a kilo of lamb is sold for $23,” he said. “We prepared ourselves for a prosperous sales season and brought all kinds of meat but the season was not as good as that in previous years. Sales decreased by 50 percent compared with the previous Ramadan.”

Imad Muna, a prominent figure in the Jerusalemite community, told Arab News that markets in Jerusalem’s Old City and eastern area has experienced a tremendous economic boom during Ramadan thanks to the tens of thousands of people from the West Bank who had come to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Thousands of Palestinians who live in Israel also came to pray at the mosque and shop at Palestinian markets in the city, he added.

“Ramadan was a good season for reviving the city’s markets, economically,” said Muna.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×