Ministry of Commerce and Industry Monday issued a clarification regarding the Ministry's  earlier circular on the closure of retail outlets and bank branches in mall and shopping centers .
The decision to close retail outlets includes shops inside large malls and shopping centers, for example, Qatar Mall, Villaggio, Ezdan Mall, Q Mall, B Square Mall, Al Salam Mall, The Gate Mall, City Center, and Laguna, among others, the statement said.

MoCI clarified that the following outlets are excluded from the decision to close malls:
 

* Pharmacies and medical center 
* Restaurants and cafes - These are only allowed to deliver customer orders and to process take-away orders. Customer dine outs are forbidden in restaurants and cafes. 
* Food supplies stores- such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, sweet, and ice cream shops 

The closure decision also doesn't include shops outside malls, such as commercial streets across the country, for example, Al Furjan Markets and Souq Waqif, among others. 

As for malls that include retail shops, such as Al Meera and Lulu Hypermarket, among others, only shops selling food and consumer goods, restaurants and cafes (delivery or take-away orders only), and pharmacies are allowed to operate. All other outlets, such as bank branches, women's and men's accessory shops, and perfume stores, among others, shall be closed. 

The Ministry in another tweet Monday said the exchange and refund period of goods sold at retail outlets in malls and shopping centers will be extended. The period during which the shops remain closed will be excluded from the refund and exchange period specified by each store.
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