‘Kibda’ stalls are a seasonal job source for youngsters

The Ministry of Labor and Jeddah municipality are working toward the nationalization of a temporary but lucrative homemade food business that appears during Ramadan.
Besides being a spiritual occasion, the holy month also gives rise to employment opportunities, particularly for youth in Jeddah who seize the opportunity not only to earn some extra cash but also enjoy a break from their daily routine.
Neighborhood stalls that sell home-made food during the evening hours offer the perfect setting for Saudi youngsters to enjoy their temporary employment for a month.
Realizing the potential of this seasonal business, efforts are being made to ensure that such stalls, which are open at nighttime, are run by Saudi youth. Authorities are constantly checking stalls to see if they are run by Saudi youngsters or expatriates.
“Balila” is confined to a limited number of Saudi youth from the southern and central parts of Jeddah, while hundreds of kibda stalls are open to Saudi youth in the city.
Fried liver sold near the passport office in central Jeddah’s Baghdadia Sharqia district and a restaurant near the Bicycle Square in Al-Faisaliah district have become hugely popular.
However, during the month of Ramadan, several stalls with dining facilities are set up in open yards among neigbhorhoods. The stalls are fully managed by Saudi youth during their summer vacation.
Qabeel Street, situated in downtown Jeddah, was once a famous spot for fried liver besides “balila” but this year, the number of stalls selling fried liver has decreased drastically, apparently due to environmental concerns on the safety of frying.
In neighborhood localities, there is no such problem and more importantly, there is enough space to seat dozens of people.
Some dozens of such stalls are located in front of various malls and shopping centers in Jamia, Kilo 14, Old Makkah Road, Bab Shareef, Bab Makkah, Baghdadia, Bawadi and Safa areas of Jeddah.
Though stall owners claim that they clean the area daily, there are visible frying stains, with oil spots dotting nearby electricity poles, footpaths and nearby areas. These stalls sell spicy fried lamb liver, which is mainly imported from Ethiopia. They begin operating immediately following Isha prayers and continue until 4 a.m.
Faisal Al-Zahrani, who operates one such stall opposite the Jeddah Eye Hospital, told Arab News, “We enjoy serving fried liver straight from the pan to customer’s tables. Though the price of liver, oil and tomato have gone up, we have not increased our rates.”
Muhammad Kibdah, whose name means liver in Arabic, was given the nickname by his friend because he sells fried liver. “I have been selling liver for nine years. Every year, I take my annual leave in Ramadan to sell liver in a stall along with my friends in the evening. During the day, I spend my time in devotional activities,” he told Arab News.
He says he began the business as a hobby. “I was helping my neighbor selling liver at the stall. When I started selling liver on my own, I found that it was popular. It was my friend who encouraged me to work on my own,” said, adding that seasonal work is part of the Hijazi culture.
Twenty-year-old Abdullah Al-Malhous believes that work during Ramadan is an opportunity to gain experience that will benefit him professionally when he grows older. “My work during Ramadan is not a job that generates money or a job to keep me busy. It is a family profession that we have been engaging in for dozens of years. Our job is to sell special items on stands in Ramadan,” he said.
“I used to go out with my father since I was 14. I would watch my father and uncle fry the liver in the pan. When I grew a little older, I began cooking myself and serving the customers,” he said.