A new way of buying fruits and vegetables could soon start sprouting up around Dubai – and payment is entirely reliant on people’s integrity.
Emirati farmer Abdullah Al Qaydi opened a “honesty kiosk” in Sharjah earlier this year, where customers can take produce from an unmanned stall and drop cash in a small box.
The honour system trusts shoppers to pay the right price for the goods they take, and Al Qaydi says the scheme has been such a success he hopes to open more branches around the emirate.
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“I want to show that the UAE is a secure country. I want to make these shops for all the world to see that we can trust all people,” he told The National. “When I discussed the idea with friends, they said I was crazy, that people would take my vegetables and just go. I thought, ‘it’s OK if people do that’. It is theirs to keep.”
Al Qaydi stocks his Maliha roadside kiosk daily with fresh local vegetables and fruits. The organic goods are clearly marked with a price, and often work out cheaper than similar produce in the supermarkets.
“Kindly, it is self-service,” a sign reads, and a calculator and notebook are left nearby so customers can tot up and record their purchases.
The food is grown on the farmer’s private land, and the kiosk is restocked throughout the day. There are no CCTV cameras on site, but there is a mobile phone number provided should customers have any queries.
The honesty box concept is popular throughout Australia and New Zealand, where farmers often stock stalls on the road outside their land. The practice is also popular in Europe, where fresh fruit and even boxes can be purchased by dropping money in a cash box.
Al Qaydi now hopes to open more stalls in Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Dubai.
“I am thinking of extending this project and opening other branches across UAE and also targeting popular shopping malls to implement the project,” he told Gulf News.
Image: Getty
