Businesses want more working hours in Ramadan

July 23, 2013

Jeddah, Jul 23: Reducing the number of working hours confuses markets’ needs in Ramadan, according to business experts.

Despite the fact that consumption and purchasing power increase in Ramadan, many workers seek fewer working hours.

People staying awake until dawn results in lower productivity throughout the day.

Such a lifestyle is negatively affecting the Saudi market. So businesses and economists are calling for longer working hours and bonuses for workers in order to meet demand.

Many reports have indicated that productivity declines by as much as 35 to 50 percent as a result of shorter working hours and the change in lifestyle during the month.

Nada Hawamedeh, a Jordanian HR employee at a private Saudi company, confirmed that in Ramadan employees become less efficient and that they even tend to become short tempered, adding that in theory, employees should work harder in Ramadan and try to be more productive since demand for goods and services increases.

“The positive side of Ramadan for business people is a higher demand for goods and services and higher consumption. This should, in fact, encourage businesses and employees to work harder and increase productivity,” she said.

Hawamedeh added: “In most companies, whether in Saudi Arabia or other Arab countries, decisions and vital meetings are postponed until Ramadan is over.”

According to Hawamedeh, this causes lower productivity and performance and results in losses for businesses. Despite the fact that Saudi Arabia offers a special work environment in Ramadan by reducing working hours automatically, many employees do not benefit from this.

“Hypermarkets, restaurants, retail and hotel chains experience higher demand during Ramadan,” said Nawaf Al-Harthi, a Saudi restaurant owner in Jeddah. “For our sector, Ramadan is the toughest season. We are therefore obliged to give our employees incentive in Ramadan. We give our employees a 30 percent increase in salary to encourage them to work.”

According to Al-Harthi, in most Arab countries, restaurants remain open throughout the day to serve non-Muslims.

Zaki Fathi, a salesman at a hypermarket in Jeddah, confirmed that people tend to consume more and even purchase more than they actually need in Ramadan.

“The positive side of Ramadan for business people is a higher demand for goods and services and higher consumption. This should be a motivation toward increasing working hours rather than halting productivity,” he said.

Walid Salem, an economist, told Arab News that Ramadan is a month when workers’ productivity decreases while consumption and demand rises.

“The higher rate of consumption equates to higher economic growth, which is why workers have to work more and get paid more,” he said.

According to Salem, Ramadan attracts huge increases in profits compared to the rest of the year, especially in Saudi Arabia. “There is no doubt that traders and businesses witness a decline in purchasing power after Ramadan as a result of higher prices against fixed incomes,” he said.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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