The UAE government has announced a massive change to the working week for all federal government entities.
Starting from January 1, 2022 all federal government employees will work from Monday to Thursday with a half day on Friday, creating a four-and-a-half day working week. Saturday and Sunday will become the new weekend for federal government employees in the New Year.
No specific instructions have been made for the private sector, but we have our ears perked up to see whether this will cause a shift for the rest of UAE.
The new system gives federal government employees an eight-hour workday on Monday to Thursday. The day will start at 7.30am and end at 3.30pm. They will also work for four-and-a-half hours on Friday, from 7.30am to noon. Federal employees will therefore have a two-and-a-half day long weekend.
Friday sermons and prayers will be held after 1.15pm all year long in the UAE. There will also be flexible working hours and work-from-home options on Fridays.
WAM stated in a tweet that the longer weekends are intended to “boost productivity and improve work-life balance”.
The Abu Dhabi Government will be in line with the UAE’s update, with the capital also implementing a four-and-a-half working days week where weekends are moved to Saturday and Sunday, with a half-day on Friday. The change will come into effect on January 1 2022, too.
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There are huge merits to shorter workweeks, with employees feeling happier, healthier and more productive during their working hours.
The UAE government also recently announced the expansion of Etihad Rail.
The UAE’s rail transport project will transport millions of people between major UAE cities by 2030. Read more about the development here.
Watch this space for more UAE weekend updates.
From January 1, 2022.
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