المملكة: 180-day deadline.. Requirements for street vendor and mobile merchant locations

Issue Minister of Municipalities and HousingMajed Al-Hogail issued a decision approving the requirements for Street vendorsand mobile merchants, with the aim of regulating the sector, and Addressing visual distortion, and providing a safe commercial environment, while giving existing establishments a period of 180 days to correct their conditions.

This decision will enter into force immediately upon its publication on the Ministry’s website, officially replacing previous regulations and regulatory decisions related to municipal incubators and street vendors.

New Requirements

The decision granted existing establishments a corrective period extending to one hundred and eighty days from the date of publication. To arrange their conditions in accordance with the new requirements.

The decision also indicated the exception of valid commercial licenses from the new spatial requirements until the expiration of their validity period in the event that they differ from what was previously licensed.

Through this step, the Ministry aims to develop the business environment in a way that meets the aspirations of individuals and society together, while raising compliance standards to address manifestations of visual distortion in cities.

Random Practices

Also, the Ministry seeks to set requirements to precisely control the activities of street vendors, And reducing random practices that negatively affect the urban and economic fabric.

The Ministry confirmed that practicing this work requires issuing a municipal license of a different nature, which is intended for specific groups that do not own fixed commercial shops.

A valid license

The Ministry explained that obtaining a permit for a sales outlet or a car park requires submitting a valid license, and the approval of the municipal jurisdiction, along with attaching a mobile car license, if any.

The requirements specified the permitted locations. By practicing activity there, including public squares, parks, event sites, and investment sites, in addition to spaces in popular markets and commercial streets.

On the other hand, the Ministry strongly warned against being present at road intersections, entrances, exits, and in front of traffic signals, government and security facilities, and parking lots for people with disabilities.

Flow of traffic

In order to ensure the flow of traffic, the regulations stipulate that the distance available for pedestrians should not be less than eighty metres. centimetres, and the distance between the cart stop and any building entrance should not be less than six metres.

It also stated that the area of the sales outlet must not be less than four square meters, while the minimum for the cart stop was set at twelve square metres.

With regard to visual identity, the Ministry obligated sellers to place commercial signs that include the name of the outlet owner and his activity, while committing to provide a unified electronic code on the interface for smooth review of regulatory documents.

Legal Rights

The instructions prohibited the use of gas lighting or the placement of trademarks without legally possessing the rights to use them, stressing that the signs should be free of any phrases or drawings that violate public taste.

At the technical level, the requirements stressed the complete equipping of outlets, the use of rust-resistant surfaces, and the provision of a washing basin connected to a drainage tank for food and health activities.

The Ministry categorically prohibited the sale of meat, poultry, uncooked fish, and medicines, Tobacco, and fireworks, stressing the need to adhere to expiration dates and provide sufficient refrigeration units for foods.

The Ministry pointed out the need for the license holder to be present himself during working hours, while allowing the use of workers provided that they are legally permitted to work.

Necessary requirements

The regulations warned against the use of annoying loudspeakers and the storage of materials not related to the activity, and required the provision of a first aid box, and the obligation to provide electronic payment methods. For beneficiaries.

The rules imposed strict standards for general cleanliness, obliging vendors to provide foot-opened waste receptacles equipped with plastic bags that are constantly replaced, and to keep the site completely free of insects and rodents.

The requirements prohibited throwing waste outside designated containers, or disposing of frying oils in random ways that violate the instructions of the concerned authorities.

The regulations focused deeply on security and safety, directing the need to avoid wrong behaviors such as smoking. Or sleeping in the activity area.

Dedicated uniform

It obligated workers, specifically in health activities, to wear specialized uniforms such as gloves and masks, and to immediately stop working when any disease symptoms appear until they are completely confirmed to have disappeared.

The requirements also addressed investors wishing to establish complex sites for street vendors, stipulating the submission of comprehensive traffic studies to the relevant committees, and obtaining defense approvals.

Security monitoring

The Ministry demanded that these sites be equipped with special paths and ramps for people with disabilities in accordance with the Saudi building code, and the provision of integrated infrastructure that includes restrooms, a site management headquarters, and security surveillance cameras.

At the conclusion of its regulations, the Ministry guaranteed the right to appeal the application of these provisions before the competent committees in secretariats and municipalities, in accordance with the municipal licensing procedures system and the sanctions list.

She stressed that the secretariats are the exclusive body authorized to monitor implementation and impose penalties on violators, in an effort to achieve a sustainable and safe urban environment for all.

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