UAE: They announce that the “weekend” will now fall on Saturday and Sunday

LAST UPDATE: 12:04

The UAE will move into a four-and-a-half-day business week starting next week, with the full weekend falling on Saturday and Sunday, in a move aimed at aligning its economy with international markets.

Today the ‘weekend’ in this oil-producing Gulf state, which is the commercial and tourist hub of the region, falls on Friday and Saturday. According to the state news agency WAM, from January 1, 2022, the services of the federal government will be transferred to the status of the new weekend, which starts on Friday afternoon.

The UAE has taken steps over the past year to make its economy more attractive to foreign investment and skilled workers at a time when economic rivalry with neighboring Saudi Arabia is intensifying.

According to a government statement, the move will “ensure smooth financial, trade and economic transactions with countries following the two-day Saturday-Sunday holiday, facilitating stronger international business ties and opportunities for thousands of UAE-based multinationals and companies”.

Friday is a weekly holiday in many predominantly Muslim countries. The announcement said that based on the new working weeks for government agencies, working hours on Friday will end at 12 noon before the sermons and prayers of that day.

According to the announcement, the extension of the weekend is part of the UAE’s efforts to strengthen the balance between work and personal life.

The UAE has also liberalized legislation on premarital cohabitation, alcohol consumption and marital status along with the introduction of long-term visas as a way to attract and retain skilled workers and encourage businesses to start businesses. there.

Source: AMPE