Saudi Arabia said it will allow some businesses to stay open 24 hours a day, an announcement that triggered puzzlement over whether it was ending rules that require shops to shut for Islam’s five daily prayers, Bloomberg reports.
A cabinet decision on Tuesday permitted stores and restaurants to operate all day in exchange for paying a fee, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs will determine the charge, as well as which commercial activities will be affected, it said.