UAE Introduces Shorter Working Week of 4.5 Days

Eswatini Daily News
By: Nomzamo Jiyane
08 December 2021

The UAE’s federal departments will adopt a new four and a half day working week starting from 01 January 2022.

The system will mean federal and many local government workers will work from 7:30am to 3:30pm which is 90 minutes longer than at present, on Monday to Thursday and work half day on Fridays.

The new long weekend will boost productivity and improve work life balance. It will also eliminate the weekend gap and allow more trade with the world economy. The current weekend is Friday and Saturday. The decision will therefore align the Emirates with global markets.

There are no specific instructions or guidance made relating to the private sector, but companies do not require the Government’s permission to set their working week. The Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization Dr Abdulrahaman Al Awar said the private sector employers will not be told to fall in line with the new working week. They can choose to have the shorter working hours if that company wishes, but they cannot exceed 48 hours working week maximum.

The country’s working week last changed in 2006 when it was moved from Thursday-Friday to the current Friday-Saturday pattern. Between 1971 and 1999 the country had a six-day working week with just Friday as a Government mandated day off.

Source: The National News