JEDDAH: As Saudis and expats celebrate the Eid Al-Adha festival, livestock dealers in the Kingdom are making the traditional purchase of offerings easier through e-sales and smartphone apps.
Online sellers have adopted the latest marketing techniques for sacrifices, with market traders this year offering a selection of sheep, cattle and goats to customers via Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.
The result is greater convenience for those wishing to buy Eid offerings without visiting the market.
Merchants publish and market Eid sacrifices on social media with videos and photos showing the outlet’s location as well as the weight, age and price of the animal.
Livestock e-sellers offer options such as slaughtering, packaging and delivery of the sacrificial animal.
Abdullah Al-Harbi, a sheep trader who posts images of live sheep and goats on Twitter, told Arab News that traffic jams, crowds of buyers and chants from sellers are commonplace at the Jeddah livestock market on the eastern side of the city.
But conditions have changed in the past two years, he said.
“Many are still visiting the markets to buy sheep after inspecting them physically, but we have noticed many are seeking to avoid crowds and are going online to buy everything from groceries to clothes and electronic devices. That’s why we created our own accounts to sell online.”
Al-Harbi, 39, who sells hundreds of sheep during Hajj, said that online sales had climbed this year.
Digital sales mean buyers have no need to visit his premises. “It’s safer to do the transaction online, getting the best service, and we make sure we deliver to their doorstep on time,” he said.
Al-Harbi said that prices for sacrificial animals this year ranged from SR1,200 ($320) to SR1,800.
Abdulqader bin Abdulrahman Al-Biladi, a private sector employee, told Arab News that he usually brings his sacrifice home a week before Eid, as his children enjoy taking care of the animals. But not this time.
“Traditionally, I visit the cattle market to buy the animal of my choice to sacrifice on Eid Al-Adha, but one of the traders I always deal with offered me his service online instead of going to his farm,” he said.
Commenting on the way delivery apps are transforming society, Abdullah Al-Subaie, a tech expert, told Arab News: “As the pandemic hit in early 2020, consumers quickly changed their shopping habits. Instead of risking disease exposure and waiting in long queues, consumers started to rely on delivery services, and for many it became a habit.”
He said that society benefits from the technological advancements, with food delivery apps making dining more comfortable for people.
“Food delivery app development is gaining peak popularity in Saudi Arabia.”
The Ministry of Commerce said that 83 outlets have been registered on its Maroof platform, offering e-shoppers a choice of sheep with a simple click.
Saudi dealers make livestock purchase easier through e-sales and apps
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Saudi dealers make livestock purchase easier through e-sales and apps
- Online sellers have adopted the latest marketing techniques for sacrifices, with market traders this year offering a selection of sheep, cattle and goats to customers via Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram
Saudi, Ireland foreign ministers discuss Gaza developments in BrusselsSaudi, Ireland foreign ministers discuss Gaza developments in Brussels
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday met his Irish counterpart Micheal Martin in the Belgian capital, Brussels, to discuss developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip and the efforts made to solve the conflict.
During the meeting, they also discussed bilateral relations between their two countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of a meeting of the ministerial committee, headed by Prince Faisal, which was assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit with the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.
It also comes a day before Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, plan to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state.
Saudi industry minister begins official trip to Netherlands
- Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef’s visit seeks to strengthen ties in industrial, mining sectors
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef traveled to the Netherlands on Monday for an official visit with the objective of strengthening cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The visit aims to explore and expand joint investment opportunities between the two countries.
Alkhorayef is scheduled to meet with several Dutch ministers and senior government officials, along with key leaders from the private sector, to discuss collaboration in the industrial and mining sectors.
The minister’s itinerary will also include several visits to Dutch factories and companies operating within these sectors with the hopes of fostering collaborative ventures between private sector entities in both countries.
The visit underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to diversifying its economy and strengthening international ties, SPA added.
In 2023, the Kingdom’s non-oil exports to the Netherlands were valued at about SR2.6 billion ($706 million), while its non-oil imports from the Netherlands amounted to almost SR8.5 billion.
Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union praises Saudi Arabia’s ‘tremendous effort’ to support Palestinian cause
RIYADH: The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union has praised the “tremendous efforts of Saudi Arabia, led by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in supporting the Palestinian cause,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The AIPU released a final statement following the 36th Arab Parliamentary Union Conference, which ended on Monday in Algiers.
A Saudi delegation, headed by the chairman of the Shoura Council, Sheikh Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, took part in the conference alongside heads of parliaments and councils, and several regional and international organizations and institutions.
During its sessions, the conference discussed developments in the Palestinian issue and the current situation in the Arab region.
The statement also praised the Kingdom’s hosting of a number of Arab, Islamic and African summits to support the Palestinian cause and put an end to the aggression against the Palestinian people.
On Yemen, the statement stressed the importance of the initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom, which call for constructive dialogue to achieve sustainable peace and a comprehensive political solution.
The conference endorsed the recommendations of the political committee, “which highly praised the pivotal and leading role played by Saudi Arabia, which has never hesitated in its significant achievements, contributions, initiatives, and authentic Arab stances aimed at unifying Arab ranks and elevating the status of the Arab and Islamic nations in all international forums,” SPA said.
The conference also praised the Kingdom’s hosting of Sudanese talks in Jeddah between the two conflicting parties to consolidate a truce and reach a final ceasefire agreement to end the crisis in a way that preserves Sudan’s sovereignty and unity and enables it to restore its security and stability.
Saudi economy minister holds talks with UN, OPEC officials in Austria
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim on Monday met Executive Director of the UN Office in Vienna Ghada Waly in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
During the meeting, the two discussed “collaboration between the Kingdom and the UN on the Sustainable Development Goals and other topics of common interest,” the ministry said in a statement.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the minister’s visit to Austria to participate in the ninth session of the Saudi-Austrian Joint Committee.
Al-Ibrahim also met Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, president of the OPEC Fund for International Development, to explore the fund’s upcoming initiatives.
He also held talks with Austrian Minister of Labor and Economy Martin Kocher on strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, and the latest developments of joint interest.
The meetings were attended by the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Austria Abdullah Tawlah.
Kuwait emir receives Saudi minister of state
Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Saudi Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz and his accompanying delegation on Monday at Bayan Palace in Kuwait.
Prince Turki conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
They reviewed the strong fraternal relations between their countries and ways to strengthen them across various fields.
The meeting was also attended by Saudi Ambassador to Kuwait Prince Sultan bin Saad bin Khalid and dignitaries from both sides.
