Manama: A proposal to have all shops closed by 9pm in Saudi Arabia is getting closer to becoming a reality that will have an enormous impact on the Saudi way of life where 11pm rush hours and night shopping and social activities are common.

Labour Minister Adel Faqeeh reportedly said the proposal, now with the expert commission of the cabinet, was in the final stages.

The minister’s statement is a strong indication that the proposal would be implemented soon, local daily Al Riyadh reported on Sunday.

Under the proposal, shops throughout the kingdom will be allowed to open between 6am and 9pm.

Recreational centres, restaurants and coffee shops will remain open until midnight on weekdays and until 1am on weekends.

The only exceptions will be in Makkah and Madinah, the two sacred cities that never sleep due to the high number of people from Saudi Arabia and abroad who visit them for religious reasons. The municipal council will decide the timings for the two cities.

Ramadan, the month of fasting during which Saudis traditionally stay up very late, will also have different timings, but the proposal suggests a 2am limit, except for restaurants to allow people to get food before they start fasting before Fajr (dawn) prayers.

A special decision will be made regarding the places and services that need to remain open and available for 24 hours.

Recreational centres, restaurants and coffee shops will remain open until midnight on weekdays and until 1pm during the weekend and holidays.

According to the daily, a six-month grace period will be given before the proposal is implemented.

Saudi labour officials said that the new regulations were part of a plan to reform the labour market and encourage Saudi men and women to seek jobs in the private sector.

A plan by the ministry to shorten the hours and give two days weekly-off in the private sector was shelved in August following pressure from investors and the business community.

The draft of the new labour law initially stipulated a 40-hour working week, down from 48, for all employees in the private sector.

The two-day weekend was a cornerstone in the ambitious labour reforms launched by the labour ministry to boost local employment opportunities and motivate Saudi men and women to join the private sector instead of insisting on securing a job in the more attractive public sector where employees enjoy offs on Fridays and Saturdays.

However, strong lobbying and pressure from the business community and investors resulted in the withdrawal of the article related to the number of hours a private sector employee must put.

Saudi Arabia is home to around nine million foreigners, mainly unskilled workers from Asian countries in the construction and service sectors. They make up around one third of the country’s population.