AT THE END of January 2012, the Ministry of Commerce issued a decision to abolish the service charge imposed by restaurants in addition to the prices of items on the menu, and the ministry gave a two months’ notice to the food industry providers to remove the extra fees from the menus.
Certainly this decision is in the interest of the consumer and in line with global customs, which leaves the customers to assess the level of service themselves, and reward the waiter to the rate of 10% to 20% maximum. Some countries including the United States and the United Arab Emirates consider these added fees to be illegal, while other countries such as the United Kingdom recognize the service charges, but ensure the right of the consumer of non-payment or reducing it in the event of dissatisfaction with service. But the current situation in Saudi Arabia makes us wonder: Have we benefited from the cancellation of the service charges in restaurants?
Saudi newspapers’ review of the overall situation since the launching of the decision to cancel the service charge after the deadline of 60 days indicates that the restaurants not only canceled service charges, which were estimated previously in the range of 15%, but actually doubled the value of those charges within the new menu prices.
A week before the deadline, specifically on March 22, Asharq Alawsat newspaper published a statement by Nasser Atawaim, president of the Consumer Protection Association about the “near the release of a list of penalties and fines on restaurants and cafes in Saudi Arabia that have not committed to implementing the decision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry regarding the cancellation of the service charges imposed.” He further explained that the ministry has asked the municipalities to keep copies of price lists before the implementation of the new law, and to be vigilant of raising prices after the deadline.
After the deadline Asharq Alawsat newspaper published on April 12, a story with the title: “Trade: Leaves the consumer the choice to accept restaurant menu prices” stating that the Consumer Protection Association has denied any move to impose prices on the providers of such services, leaving the option for the consumer as there are many alternatives!
In fact, people soon realized that the decision to cancel service charges led to the increase in the price menus in excess of the value of service charges. An investigation conducted by Al-Madinah newspaper. In the report, which was published on April 24, under the title: “The increase offsets the cancellation of the service charges from menus.. And citizens are demanding price control,” the report also pointed out that the deletion of service charges have raised the prices of meals in the city of Jeddah by 25 percent.
In the past month I made a number of observations in several restaurants, where I saw my favorite restaurant offer a new menu poor in quality and free from images and there are no changes in terms of meals other than the prices which have increased by as much as 25%. I also visited another restaurant that canceled the service charges while reducing the number of employees, thus providing slow service by surly waiters and it took almost an hour for our meals to be served. In yet another restaurant they replaced high quality butter provided with appetizers with lower quality butter and added more water and sugar to fresh juices. A world-famous restaurant adopted by creating new dishes at a higher cost.
The bottom line is, there is no doubt that the decision of the Ministry of Commerce not to impose any additional charges to the prices of food and beverages was intended to protect the consumer, but the way of dealing with the resolution reflected negatively on the consumer, increased restaurant prices and made service worse, all of which happen before the eyes of the Consumer Protection Association that seems to stand idly by after confirmation by its chief executive recently that they only have twenty employees most of them collaborators, and that the budget allocated to it does not exceed five million riyals!
Saudi restaurants: Hot new menus, flaming prices
Saudi restaurants: Hot new menus, flaming prices
Saudi transport authority launches first automated monitoring vehicle for Hajj
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority inaugurated the first automated monitoring vehicle to track compliance of various transportation modes in Makkah, Madinah, and holy sites during this year’s Hajj season.
With an accuracy of up to 99%, the automated wagon uses mobile surveillance cameras that determine the type and provide the data of vehicles, including buses, trucks, and taxis, to ensure safe transportation for pilgrims.
The move contributes to increasing compliance with regulations and requirement and ensuring the efficiency of monitoring operations.
’Malevolent’ traits may boost athletes: study
LONDON: “Malevolent” characteristics such as being self-centered, ruthless and manipulative may help elite athletes achieve glory, according to research published just weeks before the Paris Olympics.
But athlete-coach relationships could suffer when coaches have those traits, sports scientists at Britain’s Nottingham Trent University have found.
Lead author Joseph Stanford, a researcher at NTU’s School of Science and Technology, said: “Specific characteristics considered malevolent in social settings are highly relevant in performance sport.”
“High-performance environments can often attract people who feel superior, are ruthless in the pursuit of winning and have a heightened belief they can influence others for their own success,” he added.
Stanford said it was important to forge positive coach-athlete relationships.
“To win, athletes and coaches must perform together under high pressure, often in demanding and stressful situations,” he said.
“Our findings suggest we need to consider how personalities are likely to interact together in the sporting arena.
“Additional support for coaches would also allow them to understand how to create effective high-performance relationships.”
Researchers investigated the personalities and relationship quality of more than 300 elite athletes — swimmers, triathletes, and cyclists — and their coaches using a series of established measures.
They looked specifically at a group of personality types known as the Dark Triad: narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism (strategic exploitation and deceit).
Although these traits are perceived negatively in the general population, they may offer advantages within high-performance settings such as elite sport.
NTU’s Laura Healy, senior author on the study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, said: “Our research shows why some coaches and athletes may struggle to work together — their unique personality traits make it hard to build a positive coach-athlete relationship.
“Helping coaches and athletes to understand who their partner is and how to work with them could lead to better quality coach-athlete relationships within elite sport contexts, ultimately benefiting performance and sporting experience.”
Orbán’s party takes most votes in Hungary’s EU election, but new challenger scores big win
- While Orban's Fidesz party has dominated Hungarian politics since 2010, many are deeply dissatisfied with how it has governed the country
- Emerging as Hungary's strongest opposition group is Péter Magyar's Respect and Freedom (TISZA) party, which took 31 percent of the vote
BUDAPEST: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s nationalist party appeared set to take the most votes in Sunday’s European Parliament elections, a race that pitted the long-serving leader against a new challenger that has upended Orbán’s grip on Hungarian politics in recent months.
With 55 percent of votes counted, Orbán’s Fidesz party had 43 percent of the vote, enough to send 11 delegates of Hungary’s 21 total seats in the European Union’s legislature.
While Fidesz took a plurality of votes, it was down sharply from 52 percent support in 2019 EU elections and looked set to lose two seats in what was widely seen as a referendum on Orbán’s popularity.
Preliminary results showed that more than 56 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot, setting a record for participation in an EU election in Hungary.
While Fidesz has dominated Hungarian politics since 2010, many are deeply dissatisfied with how it has governed the country. A deep economic crisis and a recent series of scandals involving Fidesz politicians have rocked the party which prides itself on upholding family values and Christian conservatism.
Those factors led to the emergence of one of the most formidable challengers Orbán has ever faced, Péter Magyar, who broke ranks with Orbán’s party in February and in a matter of months built up Hungary’s strongest opposition party.
That party, Respect and Freedom (TISZA), stood at 31 percent of the vote Sunday, amounting to seven delegates to the European Parliament.
Magyar gathered a crowd of supporters next to the Danube River in Budapest on Sunday evening to await results. As strong storms approached the city, he addressed the crowd and encouraged them to take cover until the storm passed.
But he struck an optimistic tone concerning the election results, casting the day as a turning point in Hungarian politics, which have centered around Orbán for more than 14 years.
“Althought we don’t know the results yet,” he said, “today is a milestone. I would like to ask everyone to remember this day well. On June 9, 2024, an era has come to an end.”
Magyar has planned to use the elections to propel himself and his movement to challenge and defeat Orbán in the next national ballot scheduled for 2026. The 43-year-old lawyer’s accusations of widespread corruption in Orbán’s government, and claims that Fidesz has used a “propaganda machine” to sow deep social divisions, have resonated with many Hungarians who desire change.
On the eve of the election, he mobilized tens of thousands of demonstrators in Budapest in a final appeal for support for his new party.
While the favorable result for TISZA portended a shift in Hungary’s domestic politics, right-wing populists like Orbán made significant gains across Europe in the election, stirring fears that the world’s biggest trading bloc’s ability to make decisions could be undermined as war rages in Ukraine and anti-migrant sentiment mounts.
Hungary’s far-right Our Homeland party gained 6 percent of the vote Sunday, sending a delegate to Brussels for the first time.
Orbán, the Kremlin’s closest EU ally, had expressed hopes that parties across Europe that oppose providing military support to Ukraine would gain a majority in the EU legislature.
Hungary is set to take over the EU’s rotating six-month presidency in July.
The five-time prime minister cast the elections as a contest that would decide whether Russia’s war in Ukraine would engulf Europe. He campaigned heavily on fears that the war could escalate to involve Hungary directly if his political opponents were successful.
He has blamed “pro-war” politicians in Washington and Brussels for increasing tensions with Russia and portrayed his refusal to supply Kyiv with military aid and other support as a “pro-peace” position unique in Europe.
After casting his vote earlier in the day, Antal Zámbó, a 75-year-old retiree in Budapest, said he supported Orbán and Fidesz as he believed they would deliver “a more peaceful life.”
“Everyone benefits if there is peace in their surroundings as well as on the global stage,” he said.
A TISZA supporter, Gyula Német, 71, said governance by Orban’s party since 2010 has “not only proved that they are incompetent, but they totally divided this country.”
“Hungary has been pushed to the sidelines in Europe. We became totally segregated,” he said. “This cannot go on. We definitely need a positive change, integration with Europe and among the Hungarian people.”
Carlos Ortiz wins LIV Golf Houston for 1st victory on the Saudi-funded league
HUMBLE, Texas: Carlos Ortiz won LIV Golf Houston on Sunday for his first victory on the Saudi-funded league and second big win in the Houston area.
Ortiz closed with a 5-under 67 to beat Adrian Meronk by a stroke at the Golf Club of Houston. The Mexican player won the 2020 Houston Open at Memorial Park for his lone PGA Tour title.
Part of a four-way tie for the lead entering the day, the 33-year-old Ortiz finished at 15-under 201.
Meronk shot a 68 to help Cleeks GC win the team title. The German joined LIV Golf this year.
Area resident Patrick Reed had a 68 to tie for third at 12 under with Spain’s David Puig (69). Sergio Garcia was fifth at 11 under after a 68.
On Saturday, Jon Rahm withdrew after playing just six holes because of an infected left foot, leaving his status in doubt for the US Open next week at Pinehurst No. 2.
UK job market on its way back after downturn, recruiters say
- The REC survey has generally painted a weaker picture of the labor market than broader official data, which showed annual wage growth of 6 percent in the first quarter of 2024
LONDON: A fall in permanent hiring by employers in Britain was its least severe in more than a year in May and the recruitment market appears to be poised for a recovery, an industry survey showed on Monday.
In a report that will be studied by the Bank of England as it weighs up when to start cutting interest rates, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said permanent hiring fell by the smallest amount in 14 months.
Billings for temporary staff dropped by the least since January.
“The jobs market looks like it’s on its way back, with clear improvements over last month on most key measures,” REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said.
The REC survey has generally painted a weaker picture of the labor market than broader official data, which showed annual wage growth of 6 percent in the first quarter of 2024.
Britain’s July 4 national election and the likelihood of interest rate cuts by the BoE later this year were likely to remove the hesitancy of employers about hiring, Carberry said.
“These numbers suggest that caution may be starting to abate,” he said.
REC said pay rates for permanent staff rose at a pace that was only slightly slower than April’s four-month high. Vacancies fell at the slowest pace in a seven-month downturn.
In a possible relief for the BoE, the availability of staff grew by the most since December 2020, boosted by a mix of redundancies, higher unemployment and the reduction in demand for staff.
The BoE is watching the labor market closely as it assesses when inflation pressure in the economy has abated sufficiently for it to cut borrowing costs for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than four years ago.
