Economics
Saudi Arabia Set for 24-Hour Trading Amid Prayer Time Confusion
- Cabinet decides all-day business allowed after paying a fee
- Deputy minister says decision has no relationship with prayer
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Saudi Arabia said it will allow some businesses to stay open 24 hours a day, an announcement that triggered puzzlement over whether it was ending rules that require shops to shut for Islam’s five daily prayers.
A cabinet decision on Tuesday permitted stores and restaurants to operate all day in exchange for paying a fee, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs will determine the charge, as well as which commercial activities will be affected, it said.