New Delhi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government will adopt a new four-and-a-half-day working week, effective from January 1, 2022. The move applies to all federal government entities.
In a tweet posted on Tuesday, the official handle of UAE government's Media Office said Friday sermons and prayers will be held after 1:15 pm "all year long" from January 1, 2022.
The UAE currently has a Friday-Saturday weekend.
The UAE government announced that Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday will form the new weekend. All federal government departments will move to the new weekend structure from 2022.
Mosques in the UAE will host Friday sermons and prayers after 1.15 pm throughout the year.
Monday-to-Thursday workdays will start at 7.30 am and end at 3.30 pm. Friday working hours will be from 7.30 am to 12 noon.
People working in government offices will have flexibile working hours and have the freedom to work from home on Fridays.
The Twitter post said the extended weekend comes as part of the UAE government’s efforts to "boost productivity and improve work-life balance".
The move reportedly also aims to better align UAE's economy with global markets.
Quoting a UAE government statement, a Reuters report said the move would "ensure smooth financial, trade and economic transactions with countries that follow a Saturday-Sunday weekend". This, it said, will facilitate "stronger international business links and opportunities for thousands of UAE-based and multinational companies".
The UAE has become the first country to make the working week in government offices shorter than the five-day week globally.