The United Arab Emirates (UAE), in a significant shift from the Gulf tradition, will move its weekend to Saturday and Sunday starting next year, according to a tweet by the UAE media on Tuesday.
Most countries in the Muslim-dominated Gulf have Friday to Saturday weekends because Friday is a day of worship for Muslims.
The new shift is billed to begin next year according to UAE Media. The weekend will start on Friday afternoon and lasts until Sunday, marking a four and half days working week.
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The UAE has been leading the transformation of the Gulf to align with global practices. The government’s media office said the longer weekend is meant to “boost productivity and improve work-life balance.” But there is more to that.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a retired professor of political science based in the UAE, told CNBC that the move was widely expected and is in line with the country’s plan to go global.
“21st century UAE is not the same as [the] UAE of 20th century,” Abdulla said, describing the shift as a quiet “revolution.”
Last year, the UAE announced changes in Islamic personal laws. The new rules allows unmarried couples to stay together, abolishing the long-held tradition that forbade unmarried couples from cohabiting or sharing a hotel room. The changes, which went into effect immediately, also decriminalizes alcohol consumption, though it leaves the legal age at 21.
The weekend days’ changes will kick in from Jan. 1, 2022, and will apply to federal government entities. Friday working hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., the government media office said. Working hours from Monday to Thursday will start at 7.30am and end at 3.30pm.
“Adopting an agile working system will enable the UAE to rapidly respond to emerging changes and enhance wellbeing in the workplace,” CNBC quoted state news agency WAM saying in a report.
“From an economic perspective, the new working week will better align the UAE with global markets, reflecting the country’s strategic status on the global economic map,” and is designed to smooth trade, financial and economic transactions with other countries, it added.
The country will also be hoping the move boosts “not only trading opportunities but also add to the flexible, secure and enjoyable lifestyle the UAE offers to its citizens and residents,” according to WAM.
CNBC also quoted Christopher Payne, chief economist at Abu Dhabi-based Peninsula Real Estate, saying that shifting the weekend sends a clear message that the UAE is a “leader in the Gulf and the Middle East, taking bold decisions to change ahead of other countries.”
“In the broader context, this measure is part of a larger number of public policy changes … that will continue to make the UAE a highly attractive destination for foreign investment and expats,” he said, pointing to the relaxation of laws on cohabitation and changes in visa rules.
It is not the first time the UAE is making such a bold move. Years back (around 2005), the UAE government shifted the weekends from Thursdays and Fridays to Fridays and Saturdays. This was to accommodate Western lifestyle and increase business activities as starting the weekend from Thursday means losing four working days. The UAE has large business dealings with people from outside the Gulf, who use Western calendar.
The consistent changes to would-be rigid rules the country has undergone in recent years is seen as a sign of its determination to make economic progress, and also an example for other Muslim-dominated regions.
Experts have urged northern Nigeria, where alcohol is still forbidden, to learn from the UAE and undo many of the rigid rules that have hampered economic growth in the region.