Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

UAE Approves New Working Day, Weekends System


Tue 07 Dec 2021 | 06:33 PM
Rana Atef

The United Arab Emirates approved new working days, and weekends system for employees in governmental sectors, the National reported on Sunday.

Coming into effect starting from January 1st, 2022, the working days will be only 4 days and half, from Monday to Thursday, alongside the half working hours of Friday, therefore, the authorities set a new timing for the Friday's prayer to be at 1.15 pm.

Regarding the weekend, it will be on Saturdays, and Sundays.

The same system will be applied to the schools, but more details regarding the schedules and attendance timings will be announced later.

On the other hand, officials revealed that private companies are not obliged to adopt the same working hours or having the government's permission of setting any schedules.

The UAE Government Media Office commented on the decision, saying that it will "better align the Emirates with global markets, reflecting the country’s strategic status on the global economic map", and it will "boost productivity and improve work-life balance".

The Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation Abdulrahman Al Awar told the National: "Private sector companies are smart and they have been operating in a very competitive market ... they will make their decision based on what they feel will improve their position."

He added: "This decision will allow the UAE economy to be more competitive," and "It will eliminate the weekend gap – and it was much longer gap in the past. It will allow more business and exchange of trade with the world economy."