Excitement has set in as the Muslims worldwide are gearing up to welcome the holy month of Ramadhan in a little over a few days.
Against hybrid celebrations featuring virtual traditions during the last two years upended by the Covid-19 pandemic, enthusiasm is building up now at different levels in the days leading up to the big days.
This will be the third socially distanced Ramadhan in the Sultanate of Oman compared to the previous two, although the authorities have restored normalcy across all sectors, with daily Covid-19 cases registering a sharp decline over the past weeks.
“With the advent of the blessed month of Ramadhan, the entire schedule will change. Even though the past two Ramadhans were a bit sad because of the pandemic restrictions, this year we will make it greater with our kith and kin”, said Mubarak al Wahaibi, owner of a contracting company in Ruwi.
Leave alone congregational prayers, the atmosphere of fasting together and wishing all the people you meet is so mesmerising, he said.
Abdullah al Balushi, a schoolteacher, is thrilled that no one is thinking about the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic, and there is no worry that any expected restrictions will hamper Ramadhan traditions.
“What is on everyone’s mind is how to make the month more special. While precautions will be in place and restrictions will prevail, the heightened spirituality and love for each other will be thriving”, he said.
This is the first Ramadhan since the outbreak of the pandemic. Now expectations are that families can eat together, so people are buying more, he told 'Observer'.
Ramadhan plans were altered last year when mosques were closed due to the pandemic and shopping centres shut, he said adding, “now I am delighted to see all the places hustling and bustling, all day long and even into nights”.
However, what worries many people are the prices of some of the commodities, which have seen a rise in the recent weeks following the Russia Ukraine war.
The Consumer Protection Authority last week asked suppliers and retailers not to increase prices of products and commodities that are currently available in the market and have been affected by the increase in oil prices.
At the same time, hypermarkets and retailers across the country have started making several promotions and offers of different consumer goods at competitive prices to attract more customers.
Some of the leading hypermarket groups have created special spaces for items used, especially during Ramadhan, with posters welcoming customers.
“This is one of the best sales seasons for us as people buy significant quantities of goods, especially food items. We have enough items in stock and have already put many of them in special offers and promotions”, said Mohsin Valliath, Marketing Executive of a hypermarket.
He said that his company has already ordered in advance most of the commodities in the countries from which it imports them so that they can give reasonable retail prices to the customers.
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