KUWAIT: With Ramadan set to begin in less than a month, local citizens and residents have already begun their lengthy shopping preparations for the holy month, stocking up on food, drinks, sweets, presents and all the other items associated with the holy month. The country's shops, co-ops and supermarkets are also busily preparing for the forthcoming holy month, with numerous special offers set to be unveiled for the duration of the annual event. Many shoppers have already begun to stockpile goods, point
ing out that the prices of a lot of items rise steadily the closer Ramadan gets, with food, sweets, dates and coffee generally becoming more expensive in this period.

Mother-of-three Asma Rabeh told the Kuwait Times, "I learnt a lesson when I first got married and celebrated my first Ramadan as a newlywed. I was laughing at the people who were buying their Ramadan supplies the month before Ramadan, but when I went to the co-op I saw that all the prices had shot up. I was shocked when I saw that all the shelves were almost empty and I blamed myself because I hadn't bought all the necessary goods before Ramadan started." Nowadays, she said, she's far better prepared and k
nows how to buy and store the necessary items for the Ramadan table.

I'm now the first one who's waiting for the discounts and offers before the start of Ramadan!" Rabeh said, smiling. "I really advise people to buy what they need before Ramadan because you won't find what you need when it's already begun." Thirty-nine-year-old Omar Ali, who lives with his mother and four siblings, explained that because he's in charge of supplying the groceries for Ramadan he's good at tracking down special offers and discounts since he's not shopping for the usual family of six during th
is period but for some 18 people who come together on a daily basis.

The whole family eats with us [during Ramadan] - my sister who's married and my other brother who's also married," he explained. "My mother's rules are that everyone gets together and eats with us every day. So when I go to the Co-op I buy large amounts of everything." Ali voiced gratitude for all the special offers which make his money go further: "What really helps are the Co-ops' special offers - I'm so grateful for them because I don't think that the money would be enough otherwise to buy this quantit
y. I'm waiting for the Ramadan offers before the month starts because during Ramadan the prices of things are really high - and that's if you can find the items you're looking for.

Another shopper eagerly awaiting the special culinary treats available during Ramadan is married 32-year-old Samer Mahmoud: "The desserts are really important in our house," he told the Kuwait Times. "I always look forward to Ramadan to eat desserts! My wife's a great cook of sweet dishes and I always get her what she needs to make them one month before Ramadan begins.

Mahmoud is another fan of the special offers available during this period too. "This is the time when all the Co-ops have special offers, like if you buy two boxes of one item you'll get the third one free, so I see that as really good, especially during Ramadan.

He adds that dates and coffee are also particularly important foodstuffs during the holy month: "Since it's the season for them, they're very expensive; even so, I'll buy dates because they're my favorite food for Iftar and Sohour [the fast-breaking and pre-fast meals] - without the dates actually, I can't feel the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan. - Kuwait Times