Saudi Gazette report DAMMAM – The Shoura Council has still not endorsed a recommendation calling for all businesses to shut at 10 p.m. after three years of debate. Those who support the recommendation believe that it will conserve electricity and oil resources and increase productivity in the private and public sectors. Those who oppose it, on the other hand, do so citing weather considerations. They say it is difficult to run errands during the day when it is hot. They also said there is a short interval between the Maghreb and Isha prayers and shoppers cannot go to the malls at this time. The best time for them is after Isha prayer. Ibrahim Al-Saykhan is the director of a consultation office in the Eastern Province. He says social life today has changed a lot. Closing malls early will not have a negative impact, he said, adding its benefits could still be overstated. From a social perspective, most people go to malls in the evening to sit there and have fun and let their kids play, he said, adding it is hot during the day to go out and these malls help people relax. Al-Saykhan said: “But let's look at it from a different perspective and let's think about the security situation. “The large number of people who go out in the evening to malls require authorities to have more security officers in place.” Staying out late at night has a negative impact on productivity, he claimed. He added: “In Ramadan, we create new rules and change the whole lifestyle. “We delay Isha prayer by half an hour to allow people to break their fast and have some rest. “Why don't we follow this lifestyle throughout the year as long as it does not contradict Shariah rules?” Al-Saykhan suggests the interval between Maghreb and Isha prayers should be two and a half hours in summer and three hours in the winter. By doing so, many people can run errands during this time and return home early. He also called for providing alternative places to families where they can spend time and relax during the weekends. Suhaila Zainul Abideen, human rights activist, said closing malls at 10 p.m. will not bring any benefits to the general public and will disrupt businesses because most traders operate on limited work hours. Businesses usually open at 10 a.m. and close at noon before reopening at 4 p.m., she said, adding when Maghreb prayer is called traders close up and by the time they come back from the mosque, it is already close to Isha. If malls were made to close at 10 p.m. most shops would only work for six hours and this will disrupt the lifestyles of many people who would not be able to go shopping during those hours, she added. She suggested businesses open at 9 a.m. in the morning and close at 10 p.m. in the evening without any breaks, except for prayers. Awad Al-Malki, who is an educational supervisor in the Eastern Province, believes any recommendation to close businesses at 10 p.m. needs to be studied by security, social, economic and educational experts before being enforced. Although it is true that such an action will cut down on the consumption of electricity and oil, he said, it could have a negative impact on society. Most families prefer to go out after Isha prayer because the weather is milder, he added. He said: “One important question is this: If malls close at 10 p.m., what would young men do and where would they go? “They might gather and loiter at public places. “This is not an appropriate decision because our lifestyle in the Kingdom is different. “The best time to go shopping is after Isha prayer.” Muhammad Al-Shammary, an economic expert, said implementing such a recommendation will be beneficial to society and increase productivity, adding pharmacies and gas stations will be allowed to work around the clock.
