UAE New Weekend Timing-A Step in the Right Direction
UAE recently announced a new timing for the weekend. Monday to Thursday from January 2022, with Friday being a half day. Working hours for government employees will be from 7:30am to 3:30pm on Monday through Thursday, and until 12:00pm on Fridays.
This was met with good and bad reviews as families and workers had to adjust to new habits. When I arrived in UAE in 2018, I never thought I would get used to having to working on a Sunday and relaxing on a Friday. But as with everything else, I adjusted. Human beings are more adaptable than we give ourselves credit for. Adjusting to a global pandemic is one of the greatest testaments of how society has quickly shifted to existing in the new normal, while trying to hold on to some semblance of how we lived in the past.
A working day on Friday will align UAE with the rest of the world in terms of banking and business practices. It will enhance productivity and reduce the need to work 7-day weeks because your clients are globally placed. Kudos to the leaders of the country for this brave and forward-thinking amendment. I look forward to the positive impact in the coming years.