Al-Ahsa Municipality has closed down 40 stores for failing to hire women workers.

Maha Al-Sudairi, director of the municipality’s women directorate, said the inspectors would continue with their campaign until all stores abide by the law, according to a report in a local publication recently.

The municipality, in particular, wants business owners to ensure that stores selling maternity wear and abayas must have women employees, including facilities for rest and privacy.

Over the next two years, all stores selling women’s perfume, shoes, bags, socks, clothes and textiles must have women workers, as stipulated by the Labor Ministry, she said.

The ministry recently warned shop owners that they face heavy penalties for failure to comply with the regulations. These include fines of between SR3,000 and SR10,000 for every expatriate worker they have in their employ. They would also be denied recruitment and residence permit renewals.

According to reports, long working hours, evening shifts, lack of transport and low salaries are discouraging Saudi women from taking up jobs at stores selling female clothing and accessories.

Meanwhile, the municipality announced that there has been a 256 percent increase in calls in the first quarter of this year to its general and emergency operations center, on the number 940.

This was due to an increased awareness by citizens of this new service, which is aimed at reducing time and effort to visit the offices of the municipality, said Khalid Boshel, spokesman for the municipality. There were 12,191 calls last year, he said.

Bader Al-Balawi, director of central and emergency operations, said the automated interactive electronic system allows beneficiaries to communicate with the municipality without the need to visit in person.

The aim is part of the national government’s e-services initiatives. The services also include an SMS facility that informs citizens and residents of procedures directly on their mobile phones, he said.