In Gaza, where war has choked the economy and blockades have emptied shop shelves, the millennia-old system of bartering is making a comeback.
No longer a relic of ancient times or a plotline in historical dramas, exchanging goods has become a daily necessity for thousands living under Israel's siege. Barter groups, once rare, are now among the most active online communities in Gaza.
“I used to hear about bartering in historical TV series,” Marwan Al Muqayed, 33, a father of two living in temporary accommodation in Gaza city’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, told The National. “But now it’s how I survive. It’s become a way of life.”
With traditional commerce crippled by closed borders, rocketing prices and a severe cash shortage, residents of Gaza are turning to Facebook and WhatsApp groups to exchange goods such as lentils for flour, sugar for rice and soap for shampoo.
Palestinians are living under what UN-backed experts have called a worst-case scenario of famine, with Israel allowing only modest numbers of aid lorries to enter the strip. Dozens of children have died from starvation, according to Gaza health officials, with doctors and aid workers feeling the strain as they try to salvage the situation.
Issa Al Namnam, 44, a father of six, never imagined he would be sourcing baby milk for his youngest child through Facebook. “The war and the lack of cash forced me, like many others, to rely on bartering,” he said. “Sometimes I need oil or sugar but have no money. So I find someone who has what I need and offer them something I have.”
These grass roots exchanges have become lifelines. Mr Al Namnam once swapped flour for a can of baby milk, and traded canned meat for spices he could not find anywhere else.
It’s not an ideal system. “Bartering is old and not very efficient,” he admits. “But in wartime it’s what we have.”
For Mohammad Qusay‘a, 29, bartering is not only practical but the only viable option. A resident of Gaza’s Safatawi neighbourhood, he rarely uses money except for buying a few vegetables. “Most of my needs I cover through exchanges,” he told The National. “I check the WhatsApp group daily, see what people are offering and arrange swaps.”
With cash in short supply and banknotes deteriorating to the point where vendors have stopped accepting them, people were left with little choice. Mr Qusay'a has exchanged items such as dates, sugar, flour, shampoo and soap.
“I got tired of struggling with useless cash,” Mr Qusay‘a said. “Bartering is the only thing that works now. It helps me provide for my family without needing money.”
When Gaza’s border crossings were sealed in March, Mr Al Muqayed had the foresight to stockpile a few staple goods. But as the blockade dragged on, supplies dwindled and prices soared.
“I bought what I could at the start but when things ran out I had to buy from the market and prices were insane,” he says. “That’s when I turned to bartering.”
In one exchange, he traded lentils for pasta and flour. In another, sugar for oil and rice. With Gaza’s economy in freefall and the currency nearly worthless, residents are left clinging to community-driven solutions.
“Prices have doubled, even tripled. People can’t afford anything any more,” he says. “Bartering might not be ideal but it helps us get through this.”
Though most see bartering as a stopgap until the war ends and normal trade resumes, its role in the daily life of Gazans is undeniable. In the face of financial collapse, isolation and hardship, people are building their own alternative economy, one swap at a time.
“For now, bartering is how we survive,” says Mr Al Namnam. “Until the war ends and the shelves are full again, this is the system we trust.”
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Start times
5.55am: Wheelchair Marathon Elites
6am: Marathon Elites
7am: Marathon Masses
9am: 10Km Road Race
11am: 4Km Fun Run
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
