IT seems Labor Minister Adel Fakeih is reassured that all jobs in the Kingdom have been nationalized and that only a very little number of our young men and women have not been employed. It also seems that the minister is happy and content with the number of women so far employed in the ladies fashion and accessory shops. Having done this and because he has been relieved of his extra burdens as acting health minister, where he has done well according to his own vision, Fakeih has now turned his attention to the number of working hours in the commercial shops. Even if we believe that limiting working hours for shops can, supposedly, work in any other country in the world it would be very difficult to apply in our country, especially in major cities. In all truth, I was very astonished to read a statement by chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers Abdulrahman Al-Zamil that closing shops at 9 p.m. has many benefits including saving energy and oil. The residents of Riyadh will be the first to refute the minister's decision to close down shops at 9 p.m. every day for a sound reason. The shops in all major towns and cities do not open their doors before 10 a.m. With the Dhuhr adhan (noon prayer call) the shops will close for salesmen and women to pray and to have a break for lunch. The shops will reopen after Asr (late afternoon prayer), which is usually at 4 p.m. They will again close down for Maghreb (early evening prayer) for about 20 minutes at least. The shops will then close 15 minutes before the adhan for Isha (late evening prayer) and will remain shut for quite sometime. The Isha prayer does not end before 9 p.m., especially in summer. Because of the hot weather and the short time between the Asr and Maghreb and Maghreb and Isha prayers, people in Saudi Arabia prefer to do their shopping in the evening when the Isha prayer is over and the shops are open again. In such a case, how can people do their shopping if the shops are closed at 9 p.m.? The minister believes that his decision is wise. He should read what the people think of it in interviews published by Okaz on Jan. 8. The climate in our country is hot and dry during the daytime. People at this time are either busy with their work or relaxing at their homes. So they do not often go out for shopping during the day and prefer to buy their necessities in the evening after the Maghreb prayer is over. If we close down the shops at 9 p.m. and deduct the time they are shut for the Maghreb and Isha prayers, we will only be left with a very little time to do our shopping and buy our needs. I would like to tell the minister that the shops in European countries that used to close at 6 p.m. are now opening until midnight. I would also tell him that he should first reform his ministry's offices before he turns his attentions to the working hours of shops.
