DOHA: All outlets, including cafes and restaurants, offices, industrial units and clinics, will have to remain closed for 90 minutes during Friday prayers.
A law passed by the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday makes the closure that would begin from the first call for Friday prayers (azan) mandatory.
The legislation (Law No. 5 of 2015) is to be published in the official gazette after which it will be effective, reports QNA.
The law says that violators are to be fined QR10,000.
The law also permits some small home-based businesses and rules for such businesses will be issued separately by the Minister of Economy and Commerce.
The law makes it legally binding on all businesses, including shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels, clinics, hospitals, vendors, clubs, and industrial units, among others, to be licensed by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce.
This license will be irrespective of the fact that some other state agency or agencies have also provided the license to an entity to operate.
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce will soon issue an extensive list of those outlets that will require license from it.
The license will be issued for a year and it will be renewable. For renewals one would need to apply 30 days in advance.
Punishments for operating a business without license will attract fines up to QR50,000 and jail term of a year or either of the two.
Vending activities will be allowed but for select activities and agricultural produce are excluded from these rules.
rules for vendors
No vendor will, though, be allowed near educational institutions or hospitals or places where the police declare out of bounds.
Vendors will pin up on their chest identity cards provided by the ministry and they must at all times carry the licence.
And they will not be allowed to sell crackers or near shops selling the same items they are offering for sale.
Above all, no newspaper will be allowed to carry advertisement of a business without seeing a copy of the licence issued to it by the ministry, says the law which has 34 articles.
The Peninsula
