This year, only women who are widowed or divorced will be eligible for the permit.

“A (male) applicant must be a Saudi citizen, at least 30 years of age and must be committed to work in the stall or shop the license was issued for,” said Wadea Abu Al-Hamayel, president of the municipality office in charge of downtown (Balad) affairs.

Each year, Jeddah’s old city lights up with festively decorated food stalls serving different types of treats, from Syrian sweets to dishes of chopped liver and onions.

Municipal officials say that anyone directly handling food must have health certificates. Widowed and divorced women will be required to hire a man to operate the stall.

To obtain a stall permit, divorced and widowed women will be required to present proof of their single marital status and/or death certificates for their deceased husbands.

Abu Al-Hamayel emphasized the need for the male permit holders to be personally present at the food stalls. The women must ensure their proxy male employees are present.

Ramadan stalls are supposed to be reserved for Saudi operators only, but in the past officials have found that Saudis with permits have outsourced their operations to foreign workers.

Stalls must be of certain size (depending on what they sell), must not block foot traffic and must be securely fixed to the ground.

Stalls serving liver and kidney dishes will not have size restrictions because they offer seating for customers and require more space.