MUSCAT: Calls are growing to keep the Muttrah Fish Market open through the evening, a move patrons, fishmongers, hoteliers say would boost local business, offer more flexible shopping for Muscat residents, and spark vibrant night activity along the Sea Road waterfront.
As of now, the bustle of fishermen unloading their boats and the familiar haggling is the morning rhythm of Muttrah Fish Market till 2 pm, after which the shutters are down and the wave-shaped building falls silent.
Vendors say the business could double and more Omanis can take part if a second shift starting from evening till midnight .
"Small boats go out at night and come back in the morning. But many boats now bring a second catch in the afternoon from Al Seeb, Barka and Qurayat," said fisherman Mohammed al Wuhaibi. "That catch goes to Mawaleh. If Muttrah opens in the evening, it will help us and the customers will get fresher fish for dinner."
Restaurant owners in Muttrah and Muscat echo the sentiment. With seafood restaurants reporting full houses during dinner time, they are forced to buy fish in the morning and store it on ice for 12 hours.
"I will be able to serve fresh fish for my dinner guests if I am able to buy it in the evening," said a restaurant owner who serves both local customers and foreign tourists near the fish market.
Vendors are ready, but they want support. "We have the facility - air-conditioning, lights, cleaning area, ice plant. We can work if the Municipality allows," said Anwar Ali, a vendor at the market. "Parking and regular supply need to be managed. If there are customers, we will be there."
Social media too is buzzing with the demand. Many residents have taken to X and Instagram asking Muscat Municipality to consider evening hours, at least on weekends - Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 9 pm.
For many tourists too, the early closure is seen as a missed opportunity for a market that sits at the heart of Oman's top tourism landmark.
"The Muttrah Sea Road comes alive after 5 pm," says Salim al Farsi, a resident of Amerat who works in Ruwi. "Families, tourists, visitors from the cruise ships - everyone is here in the evening. But the fish market is closed. We have to buy frozen fish from supermarkets even though the sea is right in front of us."
When contacted, a board member from Muscat Municipality said that the issue of the fish market and evening operations has been raised over the years in both the state’s Maritime Heritage Committee and the Municipal Affairs Committee but there are some challenges.
“The challenges stem from the fishermen's deeply ingrained culture of working in the morning and the perceived lack of economic viability for evening operations,” he said.
The Muttrah Fish Market, rebuilt by Muscat Municipality and opened in 2017, is one of the most photographed landmarks of the capital. Designed to reflect the maritime heritage of Muttrah. An estimate shows that around 1,500 people visit the market on weekdays and almost double on weekends.
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