Tourism & Hospitality | Friday 23 August, 2019 6:40 am |

“Taif Season” is having an impact on all sections of the Taif community, providing them with support, opportunities, and platforms for them to flourish. Productive families are benefiting from this support, with a special area created in Souk Okaz that features more than 40 different types of cuisine provided by micro-enterprises. The outlets, mostly staffed by Taif residents, entrepreneurs or temporary workers, offer a variety of dishes, floor sessions, or wooden seats suitable for the atmosphere. 

 

The Jezani restaurant "Tanoor Zaman" offers visitors to Souk Okaz a variety of budget items created by its owner, "Umm Faisal" and her family. She came to Taif before the beginning of the season to oversee the construction of the oven used to provide fans of the popular cuisine the authentic flavors they expect. Maryam Al-Anbari “Umm Faisal” began her own business nine years ago by making her own blends of various Kabsa spices and healthy Al-Magi mix, made entirely of local, natural and salt-free products. “My actual start was producing my own mixes of spices, preparing budget dishes and selling them from home,” she said. “Over time, the work began to expand and we decided to participate in exhibitions for productive families inside and outside the Kingdom.” 

Taif Season represents a real opportunity for her and other productive families and entrepreneurs to realize their dream of owning their own business and communicating directly with customers – in her case through her own restaurant. Since opening at Souk Okaz, the restaurant has enjoyed strong demand from visitors, drawn by its distinctive flavors and affordable prices. Um Faisal is proud that a large number of her restaurant’s patrons are dignitaries and officials, and some of the most important dishes offered Al-Hanjih, Al-Ghazgh al-Jizani, Al Barma, Al-Bahuh and Al-Mandi rice. Um Faisal says that her biggest supporters are her own family members, as she faced many frustrations at the beginning of her work. 

Productive families participating in Taif Season received administrative, organizational and supervisory support from the relevant authorities, who also applied the highest standards of health, hygiene, security and safety to ensure the best service for visitors.