Muscat: The wholesalers and retailers at Mawaleh Central and Fruits Vegetable market are all set for relocation, probably by the second half of this year.
Speaking to Observer, the merchants at the market said, "While we have been operating in harmony since 1997, time has come to move to the new location to meet the growing footfall of customers and changing requirements such as more cold storage and air-conditioned halls for retailers and customers from various parts of the country."
The annual Ramadhan Iftar attended by over 2,000 to 3,000 people reflects the harmony of workers of various nationalities employed under the same roof at the Mawaleh Market.
Hamed bin Saeed bin Salim al Hajri, manager of the market, said, "The current market has been growing every year with more facilities and we have products from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, and not to forget the growing presence of Omani agricultural produce."
He added, "The market has been growing, and shifting to new places such as Khazaen Economic City will help it expand with better facilities. No date has been set for relocation, but it will be happening this year as announced."
A few customers commented that moving the market to 50 km away from the current location will be a bit difficult for some customers, but it won't be a problem for those residing in places like Bausher, Al Seeb, and Muscat Heights.
Abdulwahid, managing director, Suhool al Fayha, one of the leading wholesalers at the market, said, "The market opened in 1987 but closed soon after to reopen in 1997 and was operational full-fledged by 2000. Initially, 90 per cent of the products were imported via neighbouring countries, but today 90 percent of our products are directly imported from different countries with around 400 export-importers operating at the market."
"This market has nostalgic importance for all merchants and we won't operating here next year. Muscat Municipality played a big role in developing this market but keeping in mind the traffic congestion in the area, the decision was taken to relocate the market to around 60 km from the current home," he added.
Suhool al Fayha itself is investing around RO 2 million in the new market area and around RO10 million in the economic city.
According to sources, the new market will have facilities such as cold and dry stores, main wholesale halls, truck sales area, shaded areas for sorting and sale of onions and potatoes, agricultural inspection areas, office spaces for operating companies, forklifts servicing, electrical charging stations, vegetables, and fruit sorting yards, several gates for customs inspection for Vegetables and Fruit, laboratory for testing agricultural samples under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
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