Many companies intent on change

Dubai: Many Dubai-based private sector companies have indicated that they intend to modify their working week, following the government's initiative to officially change the weekend from Thursday-Friday to Friday-Saturday from September 1.

According to the ministry, the move aims to uniform the public and private sectors.

All UAE government departments will shift to the new weekend including:
Civil Defence
Police
Health Departments
Ministries/municipalities
Water and Electricity Authorities

Some major companies which will shift to the new weekend:
Emirates Group
Al Gurair Group
Nakheel

UN bodies to follow suit

With United Nations presence increasing in the UAE, some agencies are reconsidering their current staggered working week in light of the government's decree on the new weekend.

Head of Finance and Administration at World Food Programme, Chris Vickery, told Gulf News the change would make a "great deal of sense".

"We will most probably follow suit as well, but nothing has been decided as yet," she said.

Weekends for Arab countries