RIYADH: Almost half of the people favor the government’s intention to close shops at 9 p.m., according to an online survey.

While 49 of the participants in the poll approved the move, 42 percent disapproved it. The poll got 3,095 responses in 24 hours. Of these, 9 percent had no opinion.

Mohammad Al-Ajlan, head of the commercial committee at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the Ministry of Labor and Social Development’s move is not feasible and is bound to inflict big losses on many sectors. Most affected will be the retail sector.

Al-Ajlan said that sectors depending on sales after 9 in the evening, when the sale volume is high, would get a blow. He said the auto and construction sectors would not be affected.

Shops that sell garments, accessories and other consumer commodities will be strongly affected, with losses forecast to range between 20 and 25 percent, he said.

He ruled out the possibility that the decision would help the Saudization of jobs; rather, he said, it is likely to increase unemployment rates.

Al-Ajlan said the RCCI commercial committee met with a number of officials at the ministry and studied the repercussions of such a decision, noting that a workshop on the issue will be held.

Fadl Al-Boainain, an economist, said: “Society will not be able to change its purchasing habits; the majority of the population in the Kingdom prefers night outings, unlike the Westerners who prefer to do errands in the morning.” he said.