Orang Kaya Arab Hamburkan Uang di London Pasca Lebaran
`Ramadan Rush` Sees Middle Easterners to End Fasting with Indulgence
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
KAMIS sore minggu pertama setelah akhir bulan Ramadan - waktu puasa selama sebulan yang menekankan pengendalian hawa dan nafsu bagi umat Islam di seluruh dunia.
Setelah bulan puasa berakhir, bukan hanya dirayakan dengan Hari Raya Idul Fitri atau lebaran, tetapi di Inggris terjadi 'Ramadhan Rush', ketika ribuan warga super kaya dari kawasan Timur Tengah seperti Arab Saudi, Kuwait dan Qatar.
Mereka memiliki satu niat: merayakan lebaran dengan belanja untuk menghambur-hamburkan uang, seperti dilansir MailOnline.
Agustus tahun lalu, perusahaan pemrosesan kartu kredit Worldpay mencatat transaksi dari pembeli asal Timur Tengah mencapai lebih dari 73,2 juta poundsterling dan tahun ini diperkirakan naik sekitar 25%.
Banyak toko mewah seperti Harrods, Selfridges dan Harvey Nichols memperpanjang jam buka mereka selama bulan Juli dan Agustus. 'Klien dari Timur Tengah ingin berbelanja hingga larut malam,' kata asisten di Versace "Mereka datang berbelanja sebelum pergi menghabiskan malam."
Di pusat perbelanjaan Westfield di London Barat, disiapkan staf concierge berbahasa Arab khusus Ramadhan dan Idul Fitri, dan butik-butik kelas atas sering menggunakan staf perempuan berbahasa Arab.
Para pembeli terkaya sering terbang bersama seluruh rombongan untuk membantu mereka berbelanja dan berpesta, termasuk membawa pengawal, sopir dan, tentu saja, mobil. Di malam hari di Knightsbridge dan Mayfair, berderet mobil yang disebut 'supercar' melintasi, termasuk mobil 'hypercar' Porsche 918 yang harganya 900 ribu poundsterling (Rp18 miliar).
Ada juga mobil mahal Lambhorgini Aventador modifikasi seharga 480 ribu poundsterling, Porsche GT2 modifikasi senilai 170 ribu poundsterling serta mobil mahal lainnya seperti Ferrari, Bentley dan Mercedes.
Mereka senang merakit mobilnya yang disebut 'carparazzi' - atau penggemar supercar yang berkumpul di sini untuk tampilan tahunan.
Banyak mobil yang dimodifikasi, setelah dipesan oleh warga kaya asal Kuwait, Qatar dan keluarga kerajaan Arab Saudi.
IT IS late Thursday afternoon in the first week after Ramadan — the month-long Muslim fasting period that emphasises self-control and moderation.
When it ended last month, it heralded not just the traditional fast-breaking Eid celebrations, but also the now infamous ‘Ramadan Rush’, which sees thousands of super-rich Middle Easterners flying in from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.
They have one intention: to see off their month of fasting with major indulgence.
Last August, credit card processing giant Worldpay dealt with more than £73.2 million from Middle Eastern shoppers — a figure estimated to rise by 25 per cent.
Many luxury stores such as Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols extend their opening hours during July and August. ‘Gulf clients like to shop late because they wake up late,’ an assistant in Versace explains. ‘They come here before going out for the evening.’
At Westfield shopping centre in West London, extra Arabic-speaking concierge staff are laid on for Ramadan and Eid, and the upmarket boutiques often employ Arabic-speaking female staff.
The wealthiest shoppers often fly in an entire entourage to help them with their shopping and partying, including bodyguard, chauffeurs and, of course, cars. In the evenings in Knightsbridge and Mayfair, fleets of so-called ‘supercars’ zoom through the streets, including a gun-metal grey bespoke Oakley-modified Porsche 918 ‘hypercar’ valued at an astonishing £900,000.
The wealthiest shoppers often fly in an entire entourage to help them with their shopping and partying, including bodyguard, chauffeurs and, of course, cars. In the evenings in Knightsbridge and Mayfair, fleets of so-called ‘supercars’ zoom through the streets, including a gun-metal grey bespoke Oakley-modified Porsche 918 ‘hypercar’ valued at an astonishing £900,000.
There’s also a £480,000 customised Lamborghini Aventador in dark chrome, a £170,000 modified Porsche GT2 and countless Ferraris, Bentleys and Mercedes.
They delight the assembled ‘carparazzi’ — supercar fans who flock here for the annual display.
Many of the vehicles have been customised, with bespoke modifications made for members of the Kuwaiti, Qatari and Saudi royal families on a money-no-object basis.
