Shop attendants in malls want a break

Muslim shop attendants in Dubai malls want a break for Friday prayers.

They say employees in most malls are currently asked to come to work on Friday mornings and have to work during Friday prayers.

"In the past, no shops were allowed to open before Friday prayers and employees got half day off to prepare for their prayers," an employee at a hypermarket in Dubai complained.

Employees say some shops allow them a short break for Friday prayers in a mall prayer room. But Muslims are meant to offer Friday prayers in a mosque and hear the Friday sermon (khutba) there.

A survey of shop attendants and other mall employees in Dubai conducted by Gulf News revealed that there are no rules to regulate the working hours of shops on Fridays.

Shopping malls in Sharjah, however, are only allowed to open after Friday prayers.

A senior Dubai official said it was up to the malls to decide when to open on Friday.

Ali Ebrahim, Deputy Director-General of Executive Affairs at the Dubai Economic Department, said: "We believe that most shops at shopping malls are closed during the time of the Friday prayer. We do not impose any particular timing for shopping malls to open on Fridays, but leave it to the discretion of the mall authorities,"

Even during Ramadan, some malls have announced they will open from 10am to 1am, including Fridays, without a break.

"We need a break for prayers and a bit longer break for iftar (time of breaking the fast), but it would be difficult to do so according to the new time schedule given to us," said an employee at a newly- opened shopping mall.

Eisa Adam, Chairman of Dubai Shopping Malls Group, said every mall determines its own working hours and there are no set rules.

"Our mall opens on Friday from 2pm to 10 pm but some shops open before Friday prayers," said Adam, who is also head of the BurJuman Centre management. The working hours for the mall during Ramadan will be from 10am to 2pm and from 7pm to midnight.

Ibn Battuta Mall's working hours are from 10 am to midnight, including Fridays, without any break.

Shops at Al Ghurair City open from 2pm to 10pm on Fridays except for Spinneys, which opens from 8am to 12midnight.

During Ramadan, the mall will open from 10am to 1pm and from 7pm to midnight except restaurants and the hypermarket.

Mercato Mall opens from 2pm to 10pm on Fridays, but many shops open before Friday prayers and carry on without any break.

Carrefour hypermarkets remain open from 9am to midnight including Fridays, without any break for prayers.

Shops at the newly-opened The Mall of Emirates will be open from 10am to 12 midnight, including Fridays. During Ramadan, shops are asked to open from 10am to 1am, including Fridays.

A Dubai Municipality spokesperson said the municipality controls only its own markets, including the fish market, the fruit and vegetable market and the cattle market.

"Although markets are not closed on Friday mornings, they do close for Friday prayers from 11am to 2pm," the spokesperson said.