AL ARABY (3/4/2020)
‘STARBUCKS OPENING SOON’, announces a large billboard placed next to an unfinished building just off the main square of Jabal al-Weibdeh, in central Amman.
With no cars on the streets since the Jordanian government implemented a curfew to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the neighbourhood feels unusually quiet.
Forced to stay indoors, residents of Weibdeh can’t wait for life to return to the streets, and for cafes and restaurants to reopen. But not everyone is looking forward to seeing Starbucks open its doors.
Since the beginning of the year residents, shop owners and activists have been organising themselves to prevent multinational corporations from taking over one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Amman.
A grassroots campaign named ‘Ma7alli‘ – which means local in Arabic – was formed to oppose the international corporations encroaching on local businesses, and to prevent what activists see as the neighbourhood’s loss of authenticity.
In downtown Amman, an historic building that was once the main post office is being transformed into a commercial space. McDonalds banners have already been placed on the heritage site.
“Opening big multinational chain stores like Starbucks and McDonalds will ruin small local businesses,” says Linda Al-Khoury, one of the campaign organisers. She says the campaign’s goal is not only to stop big corporations from opening chains but also to preserve local heritage.