Fast-food joints eyeing 24-hour operation must up Saudization

Fast-food restaurants that wish to be open for 24 hours must be obligated to hire Saudis in their administrations and employ private security guards.
Four government agencies have issued a joint recommendation stipulating these conditions that will be applied to restaurants that are located on roads and main streets.
Government bodies, especially the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, will issue special work permits to the restaurants that are willing to fulfill these conditions. A committee formed by the Ministries of Labor, Interior, Commerce and Municipal & Rural Affairs, has endorsed these recommendations.
The recommendations include security requirements such as hiring security guards and installing surveillance cameras in and outside restaurants. These restaurants also must have Saudi branch managers.
Speaking to Arab News, Chairman of the Hospitality Committee at the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Harthi said: “This decision will have a positive role to allow restaurants to offer services 24 hours a day like pharmacies.”
He added: “However, working for 24 hours depends on the operational capacity of the restaurants. There are some restaurants that cannot be open over 24 hours. Companies that manage fast-food restaurants can avoid high costs and ensure services to clients who need it around the clock.”