Tuesday, December 7th, 2021
“Will drive up the trade”
Emirates postpone the weekend
The weekend does not go from Saturday to Sunday everywhere in the world. In the Gulf States, for example, no work has been done on Friday so far, but on Sunday. That should change.
In the United Arab Emirates, authorities and state-owned companies will have a new working week in the future. Saturday and Sunday will be off work. This should better bring working hours with the rest of the world, it said. In addition, the balance between work and private life as well as the economic competitiveness of the country will be improved.
The government is therefore introducing a four-and-a-half-day week from January 1st next year. Friday will be half a working day. This allows Muslims to perceive the important Friday prayer.
In the Emirates and the other Gulf States such as Saudi Arabia, the working week is currently from Sunday to Thursday. It is not yet clear whether the private sector in the Emirates will postpone the weekend. The country has taken several steps to open up its economy. This included selling shares in state-owned companies.
“This will bring the Emirates in line with global markets and make it easier for international companies to do business there,” quoted Bloomberg as saying Nabil Alyousuf, head of a consulting firm based in Dubai. “This will increase the number of days we can do business with the rest of the world. It will drive up trade.”