On 23 September 1932 Saudi Arabia unified into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it is now commonly known. So when you think about it, Saudi Arabia is still a young, growing and developing country. Its unification in 1932 continued to bear some similarities to the wild west of the United States. Some traditions carried on until the 1980’s and beyond. One such tradition is that of what I will call the Saudi Carpetbagger. By way of background in the United States during the earlier times, one would have carpetbaggers. These would be individuals traveling in a horse and wagon selling their various wares from elixirs to medicine to garments to household items. The horse and wagons were eventually shifted to automobiles. The modern day carpetbagger in America is referred to as a ‘door-to-door- salesman but the influx of the internet and online shopping has reduced the numbers of such salesman.
Not so in Saudi Arabia… online shopping has not yet caught on. But going back to the time of Saudi’s independence and fast forwarding, the Saudi Carpetbaggers thrived. These were men who also plied their crafts whether with camels or simply on foot and carrying their wares or pushing a cart. They would sell Makkah sweets, bread, other traditional dishes, prayer caps….basically anything that could help the enterprising Saudi carpetbagger to earn a living. Some of these men would have special skills and perform tasks such as haircuts or shaving and in their sing song voices they would advertise their talent as they walked up and down streets.
My husband told me he remembered growing up in old Makkah having one such man who provided water to their family for many years. This man would come with his donkey laden with large jugs of water which families used for washing and cleaning. One time the man was on the way to my husband’s family home to deliver water while my husband was walking home from elementary school and the kind man lifted my husband and let him ride atop the donkey the rest of the way home.
Even today in Makkah and some other places of Saudi Arabia one will see the Saudi carpetbaggers continuing to ply their trades but they have reduced in numbers.
Filed under: America, Economy, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, culture, shopping, travel
Here in the UAE, in the older neighborhoods, we have men pushing wheelbarrows full of herbs and vegetables selling them door to door. In the evening time, we have men going through the neighboorhood, some on a bicycle honking their horns and others just walking saying something in an incoherent sing-song voice, selling sambosas. There are also some older women who will still go house to house either with their parcel balanced above their heads or slung over their shoulder selling house jalabiyahs and cotton house shaylas. They will come in and visit and drink tea and gossip or inquire a bit while you look through their wares.
And also there are the Chinese vendors who go door to door selling their pirated DVDs, the daily clank-clank on the door of their red truck from the cooking gas vendors, and the occasional knock on the door from the date tree/regular tree trimmers. Even going to the ladies park you will have women selling something…clothes, makeup, hair accessories…and even there are girls who will come and apply henna designs on your hands and feet. At the park the women will come and plop down next to you and start showing you their stuff. Sometimes it is really annoying. Sometimes its nice just to pass the time away.
Life here too is full of visions, noises, everyday hustle and bustle. Everybody finds some way to make money.
We have people in America selling ‘herbs’ on the street too…lol
Seriously though, peddlers are still in America. Take a ride on the train in Chicago and you can buy anything you need or stuff you never thought about! Most people prefer to be called vendors but its the same thing and still thriving. Carol, don’t tell me there was no candy lady in your neighborhood?! Ice Cream man? Dope dealer?!!!!!!
Don’t you mean to call them peddlers?
I remember a man who walked down the street with his little cart and he sharpened scissors and knives. I also remember a flatbed truck full of vegetables and a bread truck that we called the ‘candyman’ The whole front was all candy and other goodies. Now all we have is a rare ice cream truck and maybe people offering to paint your street numbers on your curb.
This is the only way I have ever heard the term Carpet bagger used:
Carpetbaggers—also a term of derision, but applied to Northerners who went South during Reconstruction, motivated by either profit or idealism. The name referred to the cloth bags many of them used for transporting their possessions, but today is applied to any recently arrived opportunist. Despite the negative connotation of the name, many carpetbaggers were sincerely interested in aiding the freedom and education of the former slaves.
Lynn, peddlers was the first word that came to my mind too. I thought Carpetbaggers implied something more. In Arabic they are simply known as Tajirs or in English Merchants. Arabs will always be known for their trades. Right now their hustle is oil!
While peddlers would also apply when speaking to Saudis about these enterprising individuals, it is the Saudis who called them carpetbaggers!
I don’t think that an American would ever describe a carpetbagger as you have. You described a door to door salesman or peddler.
When the Saudis call them Carpetbaggers does it have a negative connotation as it does to Americans? As if they are opportunists that are just trying to rip them off?
I think it is fair to say that the old time carpetbaggers evolved into the door to door salesman.
And no, in the discussions I have held there have not been negative connotations to the term at all.
Oooh, maybe you are right about that Carol. I’m a yankee so I don’t know.
I love your blog so I hope you don’t take this too negatively. Check Wikipedia for Carpet Bagger. What they have is what I was taught in High School. The most modern example of a successful Carpet Bagger would be Hillary Clinton. Which is kind of cool as it was a reverse Carpet Bagger – from Arkansas to New York, South to North.
I’ve never seen a door to door salesman called a carpet bagger here in the US. I would be very interested to know why a Saudi would start to use that term for peddlers. That sounds like a really interesting story.
I haven’t seen them in ages!!
I don’t know if they still exist in Makkah but they are not here in the Eastern Province!!
In eastern province or for that matter in Riyadh itself – if you go around during the prayers time – you’ll find them in most modern form – they’ll be carrying their goods on a SUV (nissan mini truck) and would be selling outside mosques – specially after friday prayers – just look around any mosque near your area – you’ll find them. Here in Hayi Al Murraba/Hayi Al Wazaraat – almost daily they sell fruits & vegetables outside mosques
Reuters elected to pick up this post:
http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/entertainment?bbPostId=B6kcqoGH9Pf8Bzn7nRZ5sNNoAbnJYE7ZQWpBExXrVg7M23C