AL ZAATARI CAMP, JORDAN // When you consider that almost 80,000 people are crammed into a 5.3 square kilometre refugee camp, undoubtedly there will be a need for goods and services, and where a need arises, enterprising people will look to fulfil that and make some money in the process.
Down the bustling, narrow streets of the Al Zaatari camp, you could almost be forgiven for thinking that the customers and traders haggling from early morning until about 10pm are living regular lives. Traders lure in customers with special prices, while customers try to find the best bargains to fit their meagre budgets. But the people here are far from their homes in Syria, victims of the war that has devastated their homeland.
Among the hundreds of little huts made into shops, fresh produce, bakeries, mobile phone shops and even jewellery shops can be found on a street jokingly referred to by those who live there as the Champs-Elysees of Al Zaatari Camp. Women, children and men’s clothes, and even bridal shops, are available to those who can afford it.
If there is a need to change foreign currency, there is an exchange for that in the souk, and if a bicycle breaks down or a new one is required, there is a wealth of options. Estimates suggest there are as many as 3,000 informal shops and businesses within Al Zaatari.
Yasir Mohammed, 55, borrowed 1,000 Jordanian dinars (Dh5,180) to kickstart his business selling spices and home appliances.
“My old age and my medical condition has left me incapable of working like the younger generation inside or outside the camp, so I decided to start my own shop,” he said.
“I bought the spices and appliances from other wholesalers in the camp. I operate from 9am to 10pm, and I spend my time touting for business and trying to generate as much income as I can,” said the father of eight.
Thyme, rosemary, coriander, cumin, tarragon, cinnamon, pepper and Arabian spice are some of the items he sells. Competition is fierce and he allows himself only small a profit margin so that his business stays afloat.
“I have to accommodate and build a customer base, therefore I sell my products sometimes without any profit, just to earn a new customer,” he said. “I tend to keep a ledger book for close and known customers who buy items from me and pay me back at the end of the month or whenever they have money,” said Mr Mohammed, who has two wives.
“I am proud that I can still have the capacity to earn some money, and compete with other traders in the camp, even if the sales and revenues are meagre.”
Running his business brought a sense of normality to him and his family, as he was able to provide for them after fleeing Syria for the camp three years ago.
“Since our displacement and seeking refuge in Jordan, our lives have been turned upside down,” Mr Mohammed said. “We fled from Deraa and came to Jordan, leaving everything behind us.”
Next door to Mr Mohammed’s spice shop stands Ahmad Abdullkareem, a 21-year-old employee in a food store whose wife is expecting their first child during Ramadan.
“We sell crisps, sweets, juices, cooking oil and a lot of essential cooking items,” said the Syrian father to be who earns three dinars (Dh15) per day.
“There is business, however the competition in the camp is fierce, and the margins of profit are really low. On a really good day, our sales generate around JD100 (Dh500) but a maximum of 10 to 20 per cent of that is profit.”
Mr Abdullkareem is the sole provider for his family, which consists of his wife, mother, an aunt and a little brother.
“We are living on a day-to-day basis here as we never know what tomorrow may bring,” he said.
“I am only concerned with supporting my family here, and how will I be able to provide for my child when he comes to life next month.
“I hope by the time he is ready to go to school, we would be back in Syria, restarting our shattered lives and living in a nice home.”
tzriqat@thenational.ae
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Under 19 World Cup
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
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I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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7pm: Flood Zone
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8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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