A number of small grocery store owners in Doha said they have been forced to shutter their shops because of the bachelor ban, local media reports.

It has been four months since Qatar passed a new law requiring laborers to live outside of residential areas. As the government moves to enforce the edict, baqalas that used to be frequented by single men say they have lost too much business to stay open.

The main problem, shop owners say, is that the credit they extend to their customers often goes unpaid when workers vacate the area.

Gulf Times reports:

Recently a large grocery near Hafsa Signal on B-Ring road, wound up after its operators defaulted on rent. The shop ran into trouble owing to migration of labour camps…

“Every year I’m unable to recover large sums for goods given on credit to some of my customers in labour accommodations and at this rate I cannot say for how long our shop will be in this area, especially after municipal authorities have already served notice to labour camps and some bachelor accommodations in Doha Jadeed and Fareeq Abdul Azeez and Umm Ghuwaliana,” said a grocery owner in Najma.

An interesting casualty of this ban, no?

Thoughts?