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29 March 2024

Shindagah market shut; Traders on the street

The closed vegetable market had 30 stalls and 20 kiosks; the fish market had 28 stalls and meat market had 27 stalls, a trader said. (VM SATHISH)

Published
By VM Sathish

Shop owners, traders and workers of Shindagah Market, one of the oldest marketplaces in Dubai, are desperately looking for alternative spaces to continue their businesses, after the market was closed down by Dubai Municipality.

From September 30 midnight, about 150 shops that sold fish, fruits, vegetables and mutton, downed their shutters following a notification from themunicipality. “We are not in a position to find new shops. Some traders have huge bank loans and the sudden closure of the shop has affected their repayment capacity,” said one of the traders.

Many of these traders have been doing business for two to three decades here.

Dubai Municipality had informed all the traders operating in the market to vacate the shops by September 30.

According to the traders French retail giant Carrefour is expanding in the area and has bought off the market space.However, there has been no independent confirmation of this.

The affected traders and their employees hail from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Sri Lanka.

Ahmed Issa, an Iranian trader, who sells dates here said: “I came to this market after vacating six other markets earlier.  This is the seventh time that I am getting evicted from an established market in Dubai.”

These traders expected Dubai Municipality to provide them alternative space in the city. However, Dubai Municipality has not announced any plans to relocate them.

“About 1,400 people work here. Most of the employees are uncertain about their future and the municipality has not yet announced plans for a new market.  The closed vegetable market had 30 stalls and 20 kiosks, the fish market had 28 stalls and the meat market had 27 stalls,” one trader said.

According to Municipality official sources, traders were given enough notice and their licences have not been renewed.