JEDDAH — Studies by the concerned departments of the Council of Ministers on the closure of shops at 9 p.m. are nearing completion and the decision may be issued sometimes this year, according to informed sources. The sources said the decision will exempt some sectors. Shop owners will be informed about the new timings well in advance. The decision about the early closure of shops comes at a time when the Labor Ministry 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 weekly off. A ministry's top official said the studies of the early closure of shops and the reduction of the working hours for the private sector are in final stages. He said the ministry is trying to make the private sector more attractive for Saudis who usually prefer government jobs. He said a recent meeting with the National Recruitment Committee stressed that every private establishment should announce its available vacancies at the beginning of each year. The official said the committee members asked the ministry to exempt bakeries and butcher shops from the Nitaqat Saudization program for at least five years. Saudi Arabia has one of the fastest-growing retail sectors in the world, growing 11 percent per annum with consumer spending up 18 percent, year -on-year, in 2015, according to Arabian Centers, one of the biggest mall operators in the Kingdom. New retail space in Riyadh is projected to grow by about 45 percent in the next three years to 21.5 million square feet, according to the property company JLL.
