Saturday, Sunday weekend from January 1 in UAE: Four-and-half-day working week

• Working week will start on Monday and end by Friday afternoon

UAE announced on Tuesday that it will transition to a four-and-a half-day working week, with Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday forming the new weekend.  
All Federal government departments will move to the new weekend from January 1, 2022.  

The authorities added that with this move, the UAE has become the first nation in the world to introduce a national working week shorter than the global five-day week.  The working week will start on Monday and end by Friday afternoon. The working hours for federal employees are set to be from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm, with 8.5 working hours per day. On Friday, employees will work for 4.5 hours.  

On Fridays, employees will also be allowed to choose flexible work or work-from-home options. The longer weekend is aimed at boosting productivity and improving work-life balance.   

• On Fridays, employees will also be allowed to choose flexible work or work-from-home options