UAE residents adapt well to weekend switch as two months pass in the new year

Abu Dhabi: Two whole months have passed since the UAE switched to its Saturday-Sunday weekend. And residents now appear to have found their groove, having adjusted their activities, chores and downtime with their days off.

For many, it has meant simply shifting their outings and tasks to a different day of the week. Others have found that they can keep up with their regular activities with a tad bit more planning. And for those whom the new weekend has meant an extra half day off — like children and certain professionals — the additional time is an undeniable boon.

She added that the changed weekend therefore felt like ‘the best decision ever’, and said she wanted to now carve out some time for self-care during her ‘longer weekend’. “I have been planning to focus more on my health and so I am thinking of signing up with a gym that I can attend on Sundays, for a start,” she said.

A lot of residents have already experienced Saturday-Sunday weekends in other countries. Pakistani expat Zubair Haider, an exports professional who works in Dubai, said he has therefore “adjusted well” to the new weekend.

A number of long-term expats in the UAE said they found the switch easy, but must occasionally remind themselves of the day of the week.

She has, however, been able to simply change her weekend activities. “The main difference for me is that I attend mass on Sundays now, instead of Fridays,” Boulos added.

“I guess I am just used to my weekends starting on a Friday! With that being said, I am now able to set aside my Sunday to prepare for the coming week, which is nice,” El Kebbe added.

The shift to a new weekend has obviously freed up maximum time for schoolchildren and students, with schools and universities closing early on Fridays. In addition, schoolchildren in Sharjah now have three days off at the end of every week, with the emirate opting for a three-day weekend for students and government workers.

Many students said they would not have it any other way, having now experienced a work week that is only four-and-a-half days long. “I like how we have a shorter day on Friday because we can have two-and-a-half days of weekend. I use my free time on Friday to spend time with my family, and take a break from studying and looking at a screen. My catechism class has also changed as well from Friday to Sunday,” said Elisha Marie Pacariem, another Grade 5 student at GEMS World Academy — Abu Dhabi.

“I found it a bit weird [when the weekend first changed]. I was confused because from time to time I did not know what day we were on! But my plans for the weekend are not different compared to [what they were before]: Playing with friends, having family time and sleeping in the morning,” she said.