Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia: New rules, penalties for restaurants and cafes
February 4, 2021, 10:52 am

Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia: New rules, penalties for restaurants and cafes

A food delivery worker wears protective face mask and gloves at a restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 26, 2020. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia has introduced new rules to curb a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, including the suspension of all indoor dining at restaurants and cafes for 10 days, according to the interior ministry.

The new rules that come into effect on Thursday at 10 pm local time include a suspension on all recreational and entertainment activities for 10 days as well.

- Suspending the provision of indoor dining services in restaurants, cafes, and the like.

- No gatherings will be allowed outside restaurants for takeout orders.

- The Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing will close establishments that violate the gatherings rule for 24 hours on the first offense.

- If the violation is repeated the first time, a penalty of closure will be implemented for 48 hours and for a period of one week if it is repeated a second time. The third violation will result in two weeks of closure and a penalty of one-month closure if repeated on the fourth time and beyond.

A worker wears a protective suit, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), sterilizes the tables before the customers sit down after a restaurant reopened, in Riyadh. (File photo: Reuters)

Saudi Arabia will also close all cinemas, indoor entertainment centers, independent indoor games venues or those located in restaurants or shopping centers, etc, gyms and sports centers for a period of 10 days as part of countermeasures against COVID-19, according to an official announcement early on Thursday.

The interior ministry said the period of suspension is subjected to an extension if deemed necessary by authorities.

source: Ismaeel Naar

Image source: Reuters

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”