Moving the weekend from Friday and Saturday to Saturday and Sunday shows, experts say, just how ready the UAE is to forgo tradition in order to attract foreign investment and talent
An Israeli group of entrepreneurs passes by an image of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 27, 2020. The United Arab Emirates, a hub of international commerce, announced Tuesday, Dec. 7l, 2021 that it would shift its weekends to bring them more in line with the Western calendar and global markets, once again showing its willingness to part ways with its Arab neighbors. (Dan Balilty/The New York Times)
CAIRO — The United Arab Emirates, a hub of international commerce, announced Tuesday that it would shift its weekends to bring them more in line with the Western calendar and global markets, once again showing its willingness to part ways with its Arab neighbors.
The government declared a 4-1/2 day workweek, moving the weekend from Friday and Saturday to Saturday and Sunday. It made Friday, the Muslim holy day, a half-day of work that ends at noon, just in time for the communal prayer that is normally held in mosques and customarily observed by Muslims.
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