Jeddah Municipality shut down a number of food stores in Petromin district in the south end of the city after they failed to comply with Ministry of Health regulations. Fines totaling SR 120,000 were imposed on the storeowners.

Hassan bin Abdul Wahab Ghoneim, head of Jamyyah district municipality, said: “Some owners failed to renew their business licenses and others didn't follow Ministry of Health regulations. We found that most of the store workers didn't have health certification, some stores did not have the basic fire and safety equipment and when we arrived to inspect the various premises, a number of store workers ran away.”

He said some of the stores were registered under one owner and they operated under one license, which violated regulations. They also displayed their goods outside their stores on the sidewalks, causing obstruction to pedestrians and drivers. Many stores displayed their products on wood pallets rather than the regulated plastic required by the municipality. Some stores were shut down for poor hygienic conditions, he added.

Ghoneim said, “We imposed the maximum penalty on each store owner, and they are prevented from continuing to operate until they pay the fine. Storeowners with expired licenses will have to renew before they are allowed to operate again. Food produce must be displayed inside the store and wooden pallets must be replaced with plastic ones. Any store conducting renovations without permission will also be fined," he said.