Souk Naif is located in an area known as Sabkha one of the older parts of the city. It houses a large low-income expatriate
population and has one of the highest densities in the city. It is known for
its various commercial outlets and also has a major bus stop. The district
contains a market which was popularly known among expatriates from the
sub-continent as
chapra bazaar, or the shed market, as all the shops were made of metal and aluminum with
asbestos sheeting for roofs. Recent renovation efforts replaced this run-down
market with a traditional looking version specializing in the selling of fabric
and clothes. Of interest is the surrounding area. Here one can find a series of
shops, vendors and hawkers who are selling a variety of merchandise and
catering to a wider segment of the population. In a maze of narrow alleyways
one encounters porters, gatherings at street corners, tea shops and ethnic
eateries. A small microcosm of similar settings in India and Africa are thus
created in this part of the city.
