Cairo: Inclement weather, which recently gripped the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, has sent prices of fish in the region going up by up to 30 per cent, according to fishers and market insiders.
Last week, the Eastern Province was lashed by heavy rain prompting authorities there to suspend in-person classes.
Rainy weather has significantly affected the availability of different types of fish at local markets and their prices, according to fisher Mohammed Al Murkhan, a member of the agriculture and food committee at the Eastern Province’s Chamber of Commerce.
“Strong winds prevent fishers from going deep into the sea for fear that their safety and equipment could be at risk,” he told Saudi newspaper Al Yaum.
“Last week, most fishing boats stopped operating on the occasion of the Eid Al Fitr festival and were forced to continue their halt of operation due to warnings of powerful weather changes,” he added.
Al Murkhan noted that some boats returned to work against the odds, but their catch was not enough to meet the market needs.
Agreeing, fish vendor Fadel Al Qalaf said the quantities of the merchandise available at the market have so dwindled due to erratic weather that their prices have gone up.
Cities in the Eastern Province were hit by medium-to-torrential rains, accompanied by strong winds, poor visibility, hail showers, thunderbolts and flooding. Local authorities closed a vital tunnel on the King Fahd Road in the eastern city of Dammam as a precautionary measure. The tunnel was later reopened to traffic after its safety was ascertained.
Spokesman for the Saudi National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) Hussain Al Qahtani has said the rain amount in the Eastern Province’s town of Munifah surpassed 42mm in one hour. The official said further rainfall in affected areas is likely to continue until the end of April, urging the public to exercise caution and follow up NCM reports due to weather fluctuations.
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