Shops, cafes ordered to close by midnight

The municipality will enforce a Cabinet decision mandating all stores, restaurants, cafes, billiard halls and similar facilities to close by midnight. Municipal Director Ahmed Al-Subaih said that the municipality and the interior ministry have agreed to activate this decision in all areas - commercial, investment and residential - while shops in the industrial areas of Shuwaikh, Sharq, Ardiya, Sabhan and Fahaheel will have to close by 10:00 pm.

Interior Ministry's assistant undersecretary for public security affairs Maj Gen Abdul Fattah Al-Ali, Subaih said that the closing time on weekends (Thursdays and Fridays) and on official holidays would be 1:00 am. "Exceptions will only be made upon official permission from the interior ministry," he added.