(On est loin du film homonyme actuellement dans les salles mais ça n'en reste pas moins drôle...)
JEDDAH: Aaid ibn Al-Zarif ibn Al-Ziraif ibn Akif is not just a man’s name. Aaid is a male goat with a blood relationship to Al-Wardi, a prized male Damascene goat, a particular breed with a distinctive face.
It is not a joke as this blood relation is what concerns goat buyers and owners in the Kingdom. Those interested in goats will always emphasize the family trees of their goats in order to guarantee their pure breeding and their belonging to a well-known goat family.
“It is not only Aaid who is well-respected,” said Abdullah Al-Hajri, an organizer of goat auctions in the Eastern Province, adding that another sought-after male goat is Jarad Abu Jarad Abu Sami.
Al-Hajri and other goat dealers, especially those of the Damascene goats, want to protect the pedigree of this goat today. The Damascene goats were brought to the Kingdom from Syria by collectors some 40 years ago and since then have become a prized breed.
Al-Hajri is now thinking of setting up a company that would test the DNA of the goats to make sure they belong to the desired group. They would, he said, and then issue certificates that verify the purity of breed.
The auctions and sales take place at different times of the year and also in different countries. In the Gulf, there is a monthly auction such as Al-Daka with other auctions taking place in Riyadh and Al-Ahsa. Some gatherings take place every Wednesday.
According to Al-Hajri, investing in Damascene goats is profitable and can result in profits of 400 to 500 percent since the goats can give birth twice a year. A newborn goat can be sold for SR50,000, “and in addition, investing in goats does not need huge capital. This has driven Saudi women, even doctors and teachers, to invest in goats.”
Prices at auctions usually start at SR2,000 and in some cases the starting bid for one of these goats is SR10,000 with no maximum. The prices, said Al-Hajri, differ depending on different goat features that include the family and the appearance of the animal. Female goats, he added, are more profitable than males as the male’s role is restricted to mating.
Since the prices of the Damascene goats are very high and since the demand for them is great, they receive all protection and care. The monthly average for one goat’s food might be as much as SR5,000. The goats have their hair washed with shampoo. They also are indulged with haircuts and general care of every part of their bodies.
“The hair above the eyes is cut to show the size of the eye. The hair on the head is cut to show the elegant shape of the head. The hair on the neck is also cut to show the length and beauty of the neck,” said Al-Hajri, adding that all these points are essential for evaluating the beauty and blood purity of the goat.
Among other sought after features in the goats are a long and straight tail, a long bottom jaw, long ears and straight hocks. Like everything else, goats are also believed by some to be affected by the evil eye. Nasir Al-Haidari, a goat dealer, said that his male goat — a descendent of Al-Zarif (a famous progenitor of valuable goats) — had the evil eye put on him at a sale. This affected his mating ability and Al-Haidari fed the goat Viagra but it didn’t work. What he thought was more useful was giving him water after a supplication had been read over it. The eight-month-old male goat is less valuable in comparison to his two sisters who are worth SR120,000 to 150,000, said Al-Haidari.
Omaima Al-Fardan Arab News
Tuesday 17 November 2009 (30 Dhul Qa`dah 1430)
