Jibjat families seek stronger market support

TAQAH: The Productive Families Market at Jibjat’s Sarb season is giving household businesses a direct route to visitors, but participants say stronger sales support is needed to turn the opportunity into meaningful income.
The issue came into focus during a visit by Shaikh Tariq bin Khalid al Hinai, Wali of Taqah, who toured the market, met participating families and listened to their views on the experience.
Several participants welcomed the initiative but said sales had not reached the levels they had hoped for, particularly for families preparing fresh food and meals with limited shelf life.
One participant said the financial risk was greater for food producers because ingredients have to be purchased and meals prepared before actual demand is known.
“Sales have not been at the level we expected,” she said. “We hoped there could also be support for families producing meals and food, because much of what we prepare cannot be kept.”
She added that many productive families operate with limited financial resources, making unsold stock more difficult to absorb.

Another participant said the market’s location could also affect visitor access and sales.
“We thank the authorities for the opportunity, but we had hoped for a better location where visitors could reach us more easily,” she said. “We hope the experience can be improved.”
The comments reflected a desire to build on the initiative rather than a rejection of it. Participants said factors such as location, visitor footfall, demand and the cost of unsold products could determine how effectively seasonal markets support household businesses.
Al Hinai expressed satisfaction with the participation and organisation and listened to the concerns raised by the families. His visit also provided an opportunity for participants to discuss directly what could strengthen the market in future editions.
The Productive Families Camp was launched as part of the 2026 Sarb season in Jibjat, providing local households and small producers with a direct outlet to market their products to visitors.
The experience also highlights a wider question for seasonal events in Dhofar: how much of the spending generated by visitors can be retained by the communities hosting them.
For productive families, the benefit depends not only on having access to a stall, but also on whether it is positioned where visitors can easily reach it, whether demand is sufficient and whether participation costs can be recovered.
This is particularly important for food producers, whose products are often prepared daily and have limited shelf life.
The feedback from Jibjat offers organisers practical pointers for future editions. The market has created an avenue for local families to reach visitors; the next step is to ensure that better positioning and targeted support can translate that access into stronger and more sustainable sales.