A view of a street in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Valery Sharifulin|TASS|Getty Images
The United Arab Emirates will move its weekend to Saturday and Sunday beginning next year, the UAE media workplace stated in a tweet on Tuesday.
The shift is considerable, offered Friday has actually long been a spiritual day for worshippers ofIslam Most nations in the Gulf have Friday to Saturday weekends.
The nation will have a 4 1/2- day working week, with the weekend beginning on Friday afternoon and lasting till Sunday.
According to the tweet by the federal government’s media workplace, the longer weekend is suggested to “boost productivity and improve work-life balance.”
The modifications will begin fromJan 1, 2022, and will use to federal government entities.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a retired teacher of government based in the UAE, informed CNBC that the relocation was commonly anticipated and remains in line with the nation’s strategy to go international.
“21 st century UAE is not the like [the] UAE of 20 th century,” Abdulla stated, explaining the the shift as a peaceful “revolution.”
Friday working hours will be from 7: 30 a.m. to 12 p.m., the federal government media workplace stated. Working hours from Monday to Thursday will begin at 7.30 am and end at 3.30 pm.
“Adopting an agile working system will enable the UAE to rapidly respond to emerging changes and enhance wellbeing in the workplace,” state news firm WAM stated in a report.
“From an economic perspective, the new working week will better align the UAE with global markets, reflecting the country’s strategic status on the global economic map,” and is created to smooth trade, monetary and financial deals with other nations, it included.
The nation will likewise be hoping the relocation increases “not only trading opportunities but also add to the flexible, secure and enjoyable lifestyle the UAE offers to its citizens and residents,” according to WAM.
Christopher Payne, primary economic expert at Abu Dhabi- based Peninsula Real Estate, stated moving the weekend sends out a clear message that the UAE is a “leader in the Gulf and the Middle East, taking bold decisions to change ahead of other countries.”
“In the broader context, this measure is part of a larger number of public policy changes … that will continue to make the UAE a highly attractive destination for foreign investment and expats,” he stated, indicating the relaxation of laws on cohabitation and modifications in visa guidelines.
Abdulrahman Al Awar, the UAE’s minister of personnels and emiratisation, informed CNBC that the shift might suggest considerable enhancements for performance and trade.
“We believe that it will enable the UAE to attract talent that would be looking forward to having more comparable work days and weekends with their home countries,” he stated. He kept in mind that the nation’s reserve bank would quickly release more details on whether domestic stock exchange would still trade onSundays
— CNBC’s Natasha Turak added to this report.
