United Arab Emirates will work for the first time on Friday

Dubai: As the Gulf countries officially switched from Saturday to Sunday weekend, employees and school children exchanged work and study in weekly Muslim prayers on Friday, the first Friday in the United Arab Emirates. Some complained about change, the business was split and many moved on Western weekends, but like other Gulf countries, other private companies stuck on Friday and Saturday.

In the United Arab Emirates, which was observing every Thursday-Friday weekend until 2006, every prayer day was always a free day. However, the mosque looked busy as worshipers with prayer mats arrived as usual. office. “I want to take a break (on Friday),” said 22-year-old Briton Rachel King, who works in the hospitality industry and has lived in Dubai for six months. “That’s what we all know and love. We took a break from Friday, went to a certain open place and we were able to do something, but now it’s Saturday.”

The United Arab Emirates suddenly announced a public sector weekend switch in December as it is working to intensify competition in international business with other Gulf countries. Government agencies and schools run four and a half days a week, closing at 12:00 pm on Fridays and having a fixed prayer time at 1:15 pm, but Muslim prayer schedules usually depend on the location of the sun. Will differ.

Of the 195 companies polled by HR consultant Mercer, only 23% were preparing to follow a four-and-a-half-day week, but more than half switched from Saturday to Sunday weekend. “Fortunately, I’m having the same holidays as my kid, but my husband isn’t,” Fati, who works for an international distribution company, asked not to give her her full name. “He works for a multinational company that hasn’t changed his schedule so far. I hope they do it soon. Otherwise, our family life will be ruined. “

According to a Mercer poll, nearly one-third of businesses are concerned about the impact of being out of sync with other countries in the region. “We work well with Egypt and Saudi Arabia,” said Lana, an employee of the event company, that some of her teams have to work on Sundays. Dubai’s financial district was very quiet on Friday, with a large number of people working remotely, especially when the COVID level, where many children are educating online, is rising.

“Today is my first job on Friday and it feels a bit strange,” said bank clerk Ahmad Bilbisi, 34. “It makes sense to me, at least for the banking industry. We are now working on the same day as everyone else in the world.” The new deal is a major issue on social media and one Twitter user. “I feel it’s very wrong,” complained. “My body and mind have fully adapted to resting Friday. I think I’ll have a long time today,” the tweet reads. Sharjah, the emirate adjacent to Dubai, has found a simple solution. Mandatory Friday, Saturday and Sunday as a three-day weekend. – AFP