From January 1, the working week was shortened to four and a half days, until Friday noon. Before, that day was totally dedicated to prayer.
“It is the first time I work on a Friday, I find it a bit strange ”, says Ahmad Bilbisi this Friday, the first of the year, after your country will establish the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, forcing its inhabitants to change their customs.
By decreeing Friday, the main day of prayer in Muslim countries, as a working day, the Emirates became the only Gulf State to align itself with most Western countries, which could make it more attractive to foreign companies and workers.
In addition, from January 1, the working week was also reduced to four and a half days, until Friday noon, for public sector employees and schools. Now, the big weekly prayer on Friday starts after 1:00 p.m.
Citizens, however, have received this new organization of work with little enthusiasm, especially in the private sector, which can choose their working week as they are not affected by the new measures.
“I prefer Friday to be a day of rest”, says Rachel King, a 22-year-old British woman who has been working in Dubai for six months in the hospital industry.
“We have gotten used to not working on Friday, but now we will have to move to Saturday,” he explains.
Until 2006, the weekend in the Emirates was Thursday and Friday, and then it changed to Friday and Saturday.
Concerns
In the center of Dubai, the financial district is especially quiet this Friday, because many people are working from home due to the increase in COVID-19 cases and there are also students who have distance classes.
But to the mosques, on the other hand, the faithful continue to arrive with the carpet under their arms, to say their prayers before going to the office. A custom from which they have not let go.
According to a survey by the human resources consultancy Mercer, conducted among 195 companies last December, only 23% of companies plan to keep pace with the government, although more than half decided to spend the weekend on Saturday-Sunday.
“Fortunately, I have the right to the same rest days as my children, but my husband does not ”, says Fati, employed in an international distribution company, who prefers not to say her last name.
“He works in a multinational company that, for the moment, has not changed its hours. I hope he does it quickly because, if not, our family life will be ruined, ”he complains.
About a third of the companies surveyed by Mercer said they are concerned about the impact this reorganization of work could have on their activities in the region.
“We work a lot with Egypt and Saudi Arabia,” explains Rana, who works in the big events sector. According to her, part of her team will have to work on Sundays.
For Ahmad Bilbisi, 34, an employee in the banking sector, the reorganization, on the other hand, “makes sense”, especially in its scope: “Now, we will work the same day as the rest of the world.”
To quell criticism, Sharjah, one of the federation’s seven emirates, opted for another solution: a three-day weekend, from Friday to Sunday. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
