Sharp fall in business at Al Dira and Asiri souqs

Traders in the famous Souq Al Dira and Souq Asiri in Doha claim to have lost business due to a lack of parking facilities. Shops at Souq Al Dira and Souq Asiri situated near the Al Ahmed Street area have seen a sharp fall in the number of customers during the past several years.
“There is a huge shortage of parking slots around this souq area. Because of this, many of our customers are avoiding this souq and are attracted to shops selling ‘Readymade Garments’. Some of our long-time Qatari customers find it difficult to park far away and walk to the shop. It has affected our sales,” Kamil Yousaf, the owner of Al Massar textile store located in Souq Al Dira, told The Peninsula.
A customer at Souq Al Dira said, “Parking is the main issue here and we have to walk a lot. We regularly buy from this souq because we like it. It’s very easy to bargain and purchase the items you like the most.”
Souq Al Dira is the most colourful souq in Doha with an ultimate choice of textile shops. Here, customers can find different varieties of organza sold between QR 150 and QR450 per metre. Pure silks from Italy and Korea are sold between QR120 and QR320 per metre.
Lace with beaded work is being sold at QR500 and some varieties would cost QR1,000 per metre, while a metre of plain lace could be bought for between QR150 and QR300. Tailor-made abayas are also sold at reasonable prices at Al Dira Souq.
Zakir Hussain, a salesman at Al Zaini Perfume shop located in Al Jabor Center, said, “ Compared to malls, we sell perfumes at very affordable prices. Malls keep a huge profit. We get a profit of only QR20 or QR30. ‘Paco Rabanne 1 Million For Men’ perfume is sold at QR395 at different malls but here we sell it at QR220. But still we don’t get enough customers, they don’t like to park far and walk here."
Shamiya, a shop selling uniforms located in Al Jabor Center, has also been hit due to lack of parking facilities in the area near Souq Al Dira and Souq Asiri.
Muhammad Muneeb, a salesman at Al Shamiya, said, “We sell uniforms for maids, shoes and scarves. We have some regular customers who are coming here for more than ten years. But customers complain a lot about lack of parking facilities around the area. Our monthly income is around QR10,000 which is not enough, but we manage the expenses."
Jeena, a regular customer at Souq Asiri, said, “I come here usually in the mornings and enjoy shopping. The parking issue is there since 2014, but I continue to come here because of the wide selection available for a reasonable price. If parking issues gets resolved this is one of the best places to shop.”