Dozens of housewives were exiting the nearby Metro station and rushing through the district's streets to the Ahlan Ramadan (Welcome Ramadan) Fair this week in the Monib area of Giza, a heavily populated lower-middle income neighbourhood, reports Mai Samih. Hoping to find their household needs for the holy month before the fair ends, women young and old seemed to know exactly what they needed from this government-sponsored fair where products sell at discounted prices. “The fair has many products that are cheaper than in the local markets. I bought a chicken, a duck, and some meat. I also bargained for better prices,” said one resident of the district as she was leading other members of her family to the fair. The ministries of supply, the interior and agriculture, together with the Armed Forces and public and private-sector companies, have arranged for the “Ahlan Ramadan” Fair to sell yameesh (dried fruit and nuts) and other commodities at discounts of between 15 to 20 per cent. Similar fairs have been organised in other governorates across the country, with products sold including fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meat, and dried fruit and nuts, all at cheaper prices than local markets, groceries, and supermarkets. “All the products we sell are at lower prices than those in other markets,” said one of the vendors at the Giza Fair. He added that the average price for popular Ramadan goods such as a kg of dates was LE20 to LE25 depending on type, LE55 for a kg of raisins, and LE55 for a kg of shredded coconut. A kg of hibiscus is LE80 and of tamarind LE50. Both are used to make refreshing drinks typically consumed in Ramadan.