Feels like shopping in Dubai at Barkas market

The area, which was a military barrack during the Nizam’s regime, came to be known as Barkas from the word “barracks”. The present generation of the Chaush community, who are descendants of Hadhrami Arab warriors from the Hadhramaut region of South Arabia (now part of Republic of Yemen), these days are more interested in the import business, mainly from the Gulf countries, particularly Dubai (the UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

Several shops in the area sell products from Dubai and Saudi Arabia. The area has become famous for milk products, burqas, Arab chappals, perfumes from Dubai, dates and lungis from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

Mohsin Bin Alkaseri, owner of Al-Madina shop in Barkas, said, “In the earlier days, our families depended on growing fruits like anjeer, guava and papaya. These home-grown fruits were auctioned every morning from 7 to 9 at an auction centre specially established for the purpose decades ago. The tradition is still continuing, but gradual decrease in fruit production has forced the community to search for alternate livelihoods.”

“The Nizam had provided the community sites which were enough to build a house and also grow plants, but increase in the population has forced us to vacate the premises for expansion,” he added.

Many people from the community have migrated to Dubai over the years and youngsters here are making use of those contacts to set up import businesses, said Taher Basrai, another shop owner.

“Three or four shopkeepers form a group and import goods from Dubai in containers. Most of the products we sell are from Dubai, Saudi Arab, Korea, Italy and Singapore,” Mr Alkaseri said.

Shopkeeper Saber Basrai added, “Many customers visit our shops regularly as we sell only genuine products. Our youngsters are now entering the hotel business by establishing a number of eateries in and around Barkas to serve Mandi, Kabsa etc., traditional dishes of the Hadhramaut region, and also the Sulemani chai.”