The Ministry of Labor is seeking the views of major stakeholders in the retail sector before taking a final decision on the opening and closure time of retail shops across the Kingdom, according to Ahmad Al-Humaidan, deputy minister of labor. "The ministry is keen to listen to the views of businessmen and businesswomen as well as workers in the retail sector. The ministry wants to reach a conclusion pertaining to the most ideal time to open and close the retail outlets," he said. The minister made the remarks recently while addressing a workshop held at the ministry headquarters in Riyadh. Senior officials from the ministry as well as several prominent businessmen in the retail sector from Riyadh region attended the session, which discussed various aspects of opening and closure time of retail outlets, the Saudi Press Agency reported. According to Al-Humaidan, the ministry is considering different options, including classification of the retail sector to fix separate working hours for each section. "The ministry is seeking the views of the stakeholders so as to enable it to take an appropriate decision in this regard. The decision also aims at creating more jobs for Saudis as well as at attracting more investment opportunities in this vital sector," he said. Al-Humaidan said the ministry wants to ensure the participation of stakeholders in all major decisions related to strengthening the process of further regulating the local employment market and boosting Saudization in the retail sector. The meeting was held in the backdrop of reports that the government will soon approve a recommendation to close all shops at 9 p.m. and institute a 40-hour work week for the private sector. The proposed 9 p.m. closure has caused concern among retail shop owners who said this may result in poor sales. According to the proposal, retail shops should open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. — the hours when many Saudis and expatriates are at their workplaces.
