The United Arab Emirates government has revealed that federal entities will transition to a four-and-a-half day work week, which will take place from Monday morning to noon on Friday.
This government made the announcement via Twitter, detailing that federal employees will work from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to noon on Friday starting on January 1, 2022.
The country is allowing for a half day on Friday as this is a sacred day in Islam.
Shifting to a shorter work week and longer weekends has become a more common practice, with the UAE government hoping that this policy will “boost productivity and improve work-life balance.”
The UAE government has been working to bring in more expats after many left due to the pandemic. At the moment, the country consists of 90% foreigners out of its population of 10 million people.
