Customers have rallied in an attempt to save one of Bahrain's oldest trading establishments from closure.

Owners of Marsim, located in the heart of the Manama Suq, announced earlier this month its flagship store was to shut down due to rapidly declining business.

The shop, which has been running since 1947, was badly hit by the unrest and suffered a 90 per cent loss in trade.

'We have now decided to give it another month because we have been inundated with calls from our present and former customers,' owner Abdulkarim Al Fulaij told our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN).

'Many customers, who are now not even in Bahrain and even those who are, have called in and said they would not want Marsim to close.

'I have also received several e-mails from people who are not even customers to say one of Bahrain's iconic establishments should stay put.

'I have decided to give it one more month to come to a decision and in the meantime will see what happens.

'I am hoping the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) will step in and offer a solution.'

Al Fulaij said it was sad that despite the fact that customers had been calling and e-mailing no one from the Industry and Commerce Ministry, BCCI or government had bothered to get in touch.

'Marsim is part and parcel of this suq and is still much-loved, even though customer numbers have fallen drastically,' he said.

'There should be some concern from the authorities.

'The least anyone could have done was to call and find out what is happening. That has not happened.'

The GDN previously reported the family business, selling readymade garments and accessories, would close after traders in the area said business had dropped by 80 per cent in the last few months as a result of the unrest.

Marsim was first set up in Ras Ruman by Mr Fulaij's father, Ali Abdulqadir Al Fulaij, and in 1968 moved to Shaikh Abdulla Avenue in the suq.

The other Marsim outlet, off Shaikh Khalifa Avenue, will continue to operate.

Al Fulaij has sent in letters to Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro and the BCCI, asking them to make the suq more attractive for visitors.

As a trader with 64 years of experience, including more than 40 in the suq, he made suggestions about what could be done to revive business, but received no response from authorities.

He said Marsim had lost 90 per cent of its business in the last three months with sales of only BD3 on some days.

BCCI retail and traditional markets committee head Jawad Al Hawaj earlier said there were several problems in the suq that needed to be solved.

He said the organisation had been co-ordinating with the authorities and action would be taken.

Among the proposals is a plan to hold a shopping and entertainment festival in July or August.-TradeArabia News Service