Saudis tightening their belts for Eid in age of austerity

Riyadh

A CARTOON widely circulated in Saudi Arabia on Twitter last month showed three old men in traditional robes, named Unemployment, Prices and Poverty, looking down at a young boy with torn clothes named Salary. "When will you grow bigger like us?" the men ask the boy.

The annual Eid al-Adha holiday period is traditionally a time for ordinary Saudis to splurge on new clothes, accessories and travel. But this year's Eid holidays, which fall on Sept 12-15, are set to be the most austere in well over a decade.