Saaudi Arabia: Singer mania being ‘cured’

Singer mania being 'cured' Arab News

JEDDAH: Groups of undercover police have been deployed to monitor Jeddah's markets following a surge in the sale of old Singer sewing machines. Col. Misfer Al-Juaid, official spokesman for Jeddah police, said there have been reports of people coming to Jeddah from the Kingdom's northern and central region's to buy the machines. He added that those selling sewing machines would have their machines seized. Al-Juaid said people are paying up to SR120,000 per machine following the spread of a rumor over the past three days of the existence of red mercury in a particular brand of old Singer sewing machines. Al-Juaid said people are buying the machines, whose original price is only SR150, as they think the red mercury can be used to control jinns or will give them long life. The rumor has led many people to sell their old machines with reports of frenzy at a market in Buraidah. According to one local newspaper, Riyadh's Bin Qasim Market also saw a surge in people looking to buy Singer sewing machines. Store owners were seen cleaning dust off old second-hand machines and then selling them on for up to SR150,000.