Citizens and residents of Ras Al Khaimah, who are about to get married, expressed their surprise at the insistence of wedding hall owners in the emirate to collect the financial cost that they were receiving before the outbreak of the new Corona epidemic (Covid 19), despite the precautionary measures set by the competent authorities to restore Launching this type of business, which includes many factors that contribute to reducing the cost to them, the most prominent of which is reducing the number of guests.
They said they had reserved wedding halls to hold their wedding parties as soon as the Department of Economic Development issued a decision to reopen the halls, and they called a limited number of relatives. In spite of the reduction in the number of invitees in half, in compliance with the 50% of the work stipulated by the department, they paid the value of booking the halls in full, without any reduction in the price.
The owner of wedding halls in Ras Al-Khaimah responded that the reservation price is in the hall and not on the number of invitees, stressing that there is no change in the cost required by the wedding ceremony arrangements, regardless of the number of guests.
He said that the owners of wedding halls and event halls determine their prices based on their area and capacity.
In detail, the wedding halls in Ras Al Khaimah witnessed a remarkable demand from citizens and residents to make reservations for holding wedding parties, after the decision to reopen them was issued.
The recommendations of the Emergency Management, Crisis and Disaster Management and the Ministry of Health and Community Protection stressed the need to adhere to the precautionary measures to limit the spread of the new Corona virus (Covid 19).
The conditions for opening the men's and women's halls included that the employment rate should be 50% of the total capacity, and that six people be allowed, at a maximum, to sit at each table, leaving two meters between the tables, not to kiss or shake hands with the groom and the bride, and stand at a distance of not less than one meter Both of them to maintain public health and safety.
Citizens and residents, Khamis Rashid, Issa Hilal, Saeed Abdullah, Noor Dhiab, Khaled Al-Abed and Ahmed Shaheen confirmed that the reopening of wedding halls contributed to returning joy and happiness to the families of the betrothed who were preparing to complete the wedding stages.
They continued that they booked wedding halls and halls immediately upon the issuance of the decision, and took the precautionary measures specified by the relevant authorities in the state to preserve public safety and health, noting that the list of invitees was shortened by 50%, as they restricted the invitations to first-degree relatives, but they were surprised when reserving the halls Not to reduce prices, to keep them as they are, or to raise them from what they were before the pandemic, despite the reduction in the number of invitees in half.
They asked about the authority authorized to determine the halls prices, demanding that they be reduced in proportion to the decrease in the number of the hall and kitchen workers.
The owner of wedding halls in Ras Al-Khaimah, Hamad Al Shirawi, responded that the reservation price will be in the hall and not on the number of guests. He confirmed the holding of five weddings during the past week, and that there is a reservation for the halls until the end of next September.
He explained that the hall offers tables, chairs and meals, and has workers in the kitchen, preparation and supervision.
He stated that the reservation price is fixed (20 thousand dirhams) before and after the crisis of "Corona", pointing to reducing the number of tables and chairs according to the precautionary measures, as «the table was intended for the seating of 12 people in the past, but now we are content with placing six chairs on the table, in application of the principle of spacing Social ».
Al-Shirawi pointed out that the owners of wedding halls and event halls are the ones who determine their prices based on their area and capacity, as the price of the small hall that can accommodate 500 people is 20 thousand dirhams, while the price of the large hall, which can accommodate more than 900 people, reaches 50 thousand dirhams.
He added that with the reopening of the halls, the price was fixed, whether on weekends or regular days, taking into account the conditions of society members in light of the Corona pandemic, indicating that price fixing is offset by providing all services such as food, fruit and drinks in weddings and sweets.
He said: «Although the number of invitees has been reduced by 50%, the wedding halls are committed to providing full services, because the tables available in the hall are large in size, because they are intended for 12 people, but it is not possible to provide food and drinks on a large table for a few individuals, because This would give an inappropriate picture to the family of the newlyweds. ”
He added, "The meals provided should be appropriate to the size of the table."
Preventive measures
The Department of Economic Development in Ras Al Khaimah said that it allowed the halls to reopen, provided that the preventive measures are adhered to, in order to preserve public health, adding that they will conduct inspection campaigns to ensure compliance with the instructions and take appropriate legal measures against violators.
And she added that she prevented the elderly people over the age of 70, and individuals with health problems, from entering the halls and the enclosed and closed places surrounding it. It also obligated the owners of halls and halls to mark social space on the ground a distance of two meters between each sign, and to organize the entry of halls and not to gather or crowd outside the hall, with the use of barriers that define the way of entry and exit and maintain the specified distance of spacing.
The conditions for opening men's and women's halls included that the employment rate should be 50% of the total capacity.
20 thousand dirhams, the price of wedding halls reservation before and after the Corona crisis.