Call to halt Jid Hafs market evictions pending talks

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

An urgent parliamentary proposal has called for a halt to eviction orders against vendors at Jid Hafs market, demanding that removals be paused until traders are consulted and a nearby alternative is secured.

The motion, passed yesterday, asks the government to direct the relevant authorities to hold off on clearing stalls until talks are held with the vendors and a new location is arranged that meets their needs.

MPs Mahmood Fardan, Hamad Al Doy, Mamdouh Al Saleh, Mohammed Al Rifai and Hisham Al Awadhi put the case forward.

In their view, the market remains a lifeline for many Bahraini families, some of whom depend entirely on its trade.

Hardship

They warned that forced removals without a practical substitute would leave many in hardship.

They also stressed that any new site should be within close reach of the existing one to avoid disrupting business or cutting off regular customers.

The market, they said, is part of the fabric of local life and deserves to be supported, not swept aside.

Trade routes

The MPs argued that maintaining the market helps preserve Bahrain’s traditional trade routes and provides structure for families working hard to stay afloat.

They see it as part of the country’s social and economic rhythm, worth keeping in place.

Their proposal followed a spate of posts on social media, which claimed that vendors had already begun to be removed.

The Capital Secretariat responded by saying this was not the case.