المملكة: Toilets and chapels… new requirements for outlets selling non-food items

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has introduced requirements for outlets selling non-food items, via the “Estalaa” platform, with the aim of developing and improving the business environment in a way that achieves the general ambitions and goals of the individual and society together, supporting investors in this field, raising the standard of compliance to address manifestations of visual distortion, and creating new business models for entrepreneurs. .
The Ministry stressed adherence to planning requirements and standards, where the existing buildings are within commercial buildings, mixed-use buildings, commercial-residential, or within warehouses, while the kiosks are located within commercial complexes, popular markets, or lands with commercial or mixed-use commercial-residential.
It was obligated to implement the requirements of the Saudi Building Code, commit to approving all design work and supervise implementation by engineering offices accredited by the Ministry, and adhere to the permissible noise limits according to the executive regulations for noise.

Recurring roles

It is stipulated that the store must consist of a ground floor only, or a ground floor and a mezzanine, provided that the area of ​​the mezzanine floor is the same, and it can be on repeated floors in commercial complexes. The height of one floor must not be less than 4 meters, with the exception of stores that contain a mezzanine floor.
In wholesale stores of non-food items, a commitment must be made to provide a location for loading and unloading trucks, with the exception of stores that are part of an existing building.
The Ministry allowed the provision of toilets, hand sinks, and prayer rooms in the shop or facility. It also allowed, in retail stores for non-food items, to allocate rooms for measurement, provided that they have complete privacy, with doors that open to the outside and can be locked from the inside, and that the walls of the room from the inside are solid and empty. Electrical plugs and decorative panels, and mirrors are installed on the door only to ensure that there are no two-sided mirrors, and that they are not isolated from the shop or facility.

Loading and unloading

The Ministry stressed that loading and unloading operations must not affect the traffic movement surrounding the site of the activity, while prohibiting the use of parking lots for the operational operations of the activity such as “storage or sale.”
She stressed providing suitable display units for the goods in terms of sizes and weights and made of fire-resistant and rust-resistant materials. The display units and goods must be well secured “whether fixed or mobile” and not susceptible to falling.
The Ministry prohibited the display of any type of goods on the floor of the store, the establishment, or the accounting units, or blocking the view inside the store, or completely covering the display windows with goods, or using mechanical and electrical rooms, stairs, their frames, or the walls adjacent to them to display and store materials or any other goods. The width of the corridors between the display units should not be less than 120 cm.

Use shelves

The regulations stipulate that if shelves are used, these shelves must be at least 15 cm above the surface of the floor, and be hollow at the bottom. The distance between the top storage/display stacks and the ceiling must not be less than 60 cm.
The regulations prohibit the sale or display of products that violate the regulations and instructions issued by other government agencies, or the random accumulation of goods inside the store, facility, or warehouse. It obliges the licensee to follow the instructions of the Food and Drug General Authority in the event of practicing the composition, processing, and mixing of perfumes, and that heavier goods be stored in Below are the storage units, with lighter goods stored at the top.

Maintenance work

She explained that in the event of carrying out maintenance, repair, or installation and preparation activities, a designated work area must be designated for this purpose, provided that these activities are carried out within the boundaries of this area only, excluding damaged tools and machines that cannot be repaired or used.
In retail stores only, it is permitted to designate an area for trying out cosmetics according to one of the following options, and it is allowed to combine them, such as separate, non-revealing rooms, placing screens in the area designated for testing, and allocating tables and chairs to try out cosmetics inside the store or facility.
It stipulates that the service provider must install security cameras and have authority over the cameras belonging to his own parking lots and guarantee their operation and functioning if the parking cameras belong to another facility, while providing valid electronic payment methods ready for use. ​