By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Citizens and residents in Kuwait are preparing for Eid Al-Fitr after a two-year disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. People are eager to celebrate and embrace the true spirit of Eid, now COVID-19 restrictions have been eased.

Ali, a gold seller in Souk Al-Mubarakiya, said sales of gold in recent days have not been much compared to last year. "There is weak demand for gold due to the high gold rate, which forced us to stop importing new designs and make do with local pieces," he told Kuwait Times. He added the lockdowns in the past years is one of the reasons for low demand, saying priority for people now is to travel, not to spend money on gold.

Hussain Al-Ali, another gold seller, told Kuwait Times the gold price has increased because of the Russian war on Ukraine. "Domestic demand for gold will spike hopefully after Eid," he said. "Children's jewelry from the Eid collection are most in demand. Every year we have a new collection for each occasion. We lower the markup on gold jewelry for Eid to encourage people to buy," he added.

Bedour Nasser, a shopper, said preparations for Eid will be huge this year with family gatherings, after the pandemic has ended. "We are prepared for the blessed Eid Al-Fitr. With the return of public life, Eid this year will be different and the holiday will be enjoyed with family and friends," she said. "We bought new clothes, Eid decorations and toys in order to distribute them in a competition we are planning to organize during the festival. It is a relief to have such an important celebration return to normality after such a long time," she noted.

Ahmad Bahaa, a watch salesman, said the market is witnessing high demand for watches and accessories, especially from women. "As we are approaching Eid, the number of customers is increasing. People nowadays mostly buy from our store rather than online, especially in malls. Customers buy clothes first, then match them with watches and accessories from our store," he explained.

Eid cookies and Middle Eastern sweets are among the popular patisseries consumed during Eid Al-Fitr. Rose Blase, who works in a sweetshop, told Kuwait Times her shop has prepared hundreds of boxes of Eid cookies stuffed with nuts, dates and fruit jelly. "They're all sold out in all of our branches and we still haven't reached Eid. Usually, people can pre-order online then collect from the store," she told Kuwait Times.