UAE weekend change: Is UAE the first Arab or Islamic country to approve Friday as an official working day?

The UAE has moved to a four-and-a half-day working week with Friday set as a half-day

Last updated:
Tawfiq Naserallah (Freelancer) and Huda Tabrez, Living in UAE Editor (Living in UAE Editor)
1 MIN READ
Picture used for illustrative purposes only.
Picture used for illustrative purposes only.
Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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.

Is the UAE the first Arab or Islamic country to approve an amendment to the weekly work system to make Friday an official working day?

In a detailed document released by the UAE Government Media Office, the new weekly work week system was explained. Addressing this query, the document stated that most countries of the world adopt Saturday and Sunday as a weekly holiday, including many Arab and Islamic countries, such as Morocco, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and others.

► UAE weekend change: find answers to all your queries

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