SAUDI GAZETTE JEDDAH — Many Saudis interviewed for this report were against the proposal to close down shops by 9 p.m., which is expected to be implemented sometime this year. Those against the move believe that by implementing the proposal, people will have a tight schedule for shopping because most people work in day shifts. They also said as the shops remain closed during prayer times, they would get a very little time for shopping during the evening if the proposal was implemented. Others believe the weather in the Kingdom is not suitable for shopping during the day hours. They assume that implementing such a proposal would negatively affect many businesses. The decision will exempt some sectors, including restaurants and theme parks. Shop owners will be informed about the new timings well in advance. According to a local newspaper, the decision is still under study and it will be implemented only after several workshops were held to study its possible effects. These workshops will be held in Riyadh, Eastern Province and some other cities of the Kingdom. The decision to close shops at 9 p.m. comes at a time when the Ministry of Labor and Social Development is considering to reduce working hours for the private sector from 48 hours a week to 40 hours and to grant employees a two-day weekend to make the retail sector attractive for young Saudis. Although experts believe that this new proposal is beneficial to creating employment for Saudis, but many people are not convinced. Alia Rihawi, a marketing executive in a private company in Jeddah, said, "I do not support this proposal. Since shops close down anyways during prayer times, there would be no time left for people to go shopping. It will definitely decrease sales." Nermen Al-Amoudi, brand manager in a private company, said she disagreed with the proposal because the weather in the Kingdom has a great impact on shoppers. "Very few people will venture out in the morning hours," she said, adding that shops, especially the small ones, will be negatively affected by the decision as they will be unable to cover expenses. "By closing at 9 p.m., shops will not have enough time to sell their products. The best time for shopping is after sunset until midnight. If the shops close at 9 p.m., we will face new traffic problems, too," Al-Amoudi said. Lara Kattab, an art director, said, "I am against the decision since shops are already affected by the policy of closing during prayer times. The authorities will be restricting the buying and selling process by limiting the shopping hours. With the proposal for closing the shops at 9 p.m., the sales will be affected and shopping will become an unattainable task for many." In Kattab's opinion, with the implementation of this proposal the phenomenon of online shopping will become popular in the Kingdom and regular shops will be deprived of their business, as it will be difficult for many people to go physically to the shops. "The concept of online shopping will spread and become acceptable to all segments of society, as home delivery of consumer products will prove to be more convenient for them," Kattab said. Several Shoura Council members have backed the proposal by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development to close shops at 9 p.m. for social and security reasons. Meanwhile, Fahd Juma, a Shoura member, stressed the need to keep working hours within 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Speaking to Al-Hayat Arabic daily, Juma said the workweek should not exceed 40 hours and all employees should get a two-day weekend. He, however, agreed that if implemented, the proposal would have a negative impact on small and medium enterprises and affect their profits. "Abrupt government decisions and change in policies will destabilize the environment in workplaces and affect the profits of SMEs and force them to quit market," he explained. Saudi Arabia is a rich and developing country and its firms use basic factors of production such as capital, manpower, land and technology to achieve efficiency and reasonable profit, he said. "Our country suffers from a lack of job opportunities for its citizens. There is no conflict over reducing the weekly work hours but without emphasizing the two-day weekend, it would not increase the cost of employing expatriates. He said before introducing the closure of shops at 9 p.m., we should organize working hours in an integrated manner, benefiting traders, workers and consumers. "We need a holistic system and fix working hours for the retail sector from 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m., including prayer and lunch time." He proposed to make Friday and Saturday as official holidays for shops. He also wanted to introduce an hourly wage system, instead of the monthly salary, to make workers more productive. "We should bring par-time work to four hours. This will enable workers to look for high earning jobs." Dr. Mohammed Al-Qahtani, a member of the administrative and manpower committee at the Shoura, supported the proposal. He wanted to rationalize opening of new shops. "There is a shop for every 17 people in the Kingdom," he said, citing a statement by Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, president of the Council of Saudi Chambers. "This is old statistics and the number of shops might have increased further." Al-Qahtani said most shops are now run by expatriates who are ready to work 24 hours. He said a number of government agencies, including the Manpower Council, the Higher Administrative Reform Council and Shoura Council have discussed the issue of closing shops at 9 p.m. He stressed the need to provide alternatives for citizens and residents to spend their time when the decision is applied, especially during summer. "Before introducing the system we have to look into economic, social and security aspects and make use of the successful experiments of other countries in this respect," he told Al-Hayat. Fahd Al-Anazi, a member of the economic and energy committee, highlighted the positive effect of the proposed system such as creating discipline, beginning work in the early hours and encouraging people to sleep early instead of staying awake throughout the night. "It will also reduce congestion on roads and cut down power consumption. It will encourage Saudis to work at these shops because of reduced working hours and create more job opportunities for them in the retail sector," he pointed out. Speaking about security benefits, Al-Anazi said the system would reduce thefts at shops. "Previously thieves used to target shops operating late in the night." However, he pointed out that some shops, pharmacies and gas stations should operate after 9 p.m. to meet the emergency needs of the public. It would be easy for security patrols to focus on these small numbers of shops and service facilities, he added.
