UAE weekend change: Can I work on a Friday under Shariah and religious teachings, since it is the day on which Friday prayers are held?

Dubai: UAE announced on Tuesday that it will transition to a four-and-a half-day working week, with Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday forming the new weekend. All Federal government departments will move to the new weekend from January 1, 2022.

The authorities added that with this move, the UAE has become the first nation in the world to introduce a national working week shorter than the global five-day week.

In a detailed document released by the UAE Government Media Office, the new weekly work week system was explained. One of the questions answered in the official release was: "Does working on Friday contradict Sharia and religious teachings, especially since it is the day on which Friday prayers are held?"

Answer posted by the UAE Government Media Office: "There are no Shariah texts that decide a specific day for the holiday, as evidenced by the Quranic verse, which says: 'O you who have believed, when [the azan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew!'

"Also, the official working time on Friday ends before the Friday prayer is performed, and so it does not conflict with it."

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