Rumors that Sidra Supermarket, a small grocery store in the HBKU Student Center, will be closing down have circulated in recent weeks among concerned students. But Qatar Foundation officials say this is categorically untrue.

The rumors began when Sidra Supermarket’s staff began to empty the cabinets and shelves inside the store. This led to customer inquiries, and staff members relaying to students that the store will soon be shutting down.

Qatar Foundation authorities maintain there is no such plan in the near future. “Sidra’s contract is valid until the end of this year,” said Reem Al-Abduljabbar, operations supervisor at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Center.

But staff in the supermarket seem to have gotten a different message.  Employees there told this reporter that they have made all the necessary procedures to move out and are waiting for final approval from Qatar Foundation management. The alleged decision to close was probably made due to lack of profits during summer and winter breaks, said Normand Ocampo, supervisor at Sidra Supermarket.

Al-Abduljabbar insists the staff was misinformed. She reiterated that the store will not be closing anytime soon.

“This might be because many staff members get transferred from branch to branch, and they may have mistaken this transfer as shutting down the store,” said Al-Abduljabbar. She added that upon complaining to the Sidra management about this dissemination of inaccurate information on the part of the staff, she received an email apologizing for the miscommunication.

Some students expressed concerns over the rumors. “I guess most people would probably resent the idea of Sidra being shut down because it’s the best place to get snacks,” said Abdullah Khan, computer science freshman at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. He added that students liked using Sidra supermarket because of its inexpensive prices and the fact that the supermarket stayed open until 10 pm, unlike university cafeterias which close earlier.