The most important questions and answers about the new weekly work system for the UAE government
1- What is the new system of weekly work in the UAE?
Amending the official working days in the government sector in the country to be four and a half working days, from Monday to Thursday, and half a working day on Friday, and the weekly holiday is on Saturday and Sunday.
2- What are the official working hours approved in the new decision?
The official working hours are 8 working hours per day, except on Friday it is 4 and a half hours.
The official working days and hours in ministries and federal entities have been set to be from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm on Mondays to Thursdays.
3- What is the approved weekly holiday period according to the new system?
The weekly holiday has been extended for two and a half days nationwide, with Saturday, Sunday and Friday being half working days.
4- When does the decision take effect?
Starting from 1/1/2022, with Sunday 2/1/2022 an official holiday.
5- What is the expected impact of implementing the new work system decision?
Achieving business continuity with global economies and global banking transactions.
Enhancing the UAE’s position within the global competitiveness indicators in the economic and business sectors.
Enabling employees to effectively engage in activities they could not have previously done, such as starting a business, completing graduate studies, or traveling.
6- Is there flexibility for the federal authorities in implementing the new work system?
Federal authorities can implement flexible working hours and remote work system on Friday, provided that the authorities approve the implementation mechanisms, and as required by the interest of the workflow in these authorities.
7- Does the decision include school students? What are the approved official working hours for schools?
Yes, the decision includes schools in the UAE, and the Ministry of Education will coordinate and announce the official working hours.
8- What are the positive repercussions of the decision to extend the weekly leave on the personal and work life of the employees?
Increasing the weekly holiday to two and a half days has a positive impact on the mental health of individuals and strengthening the bonds of family and community relations by providing quality time for the practice of family cultural and recreational activities during the holiday.
The new system enables individuals from different groups to do activities that they could not do previously, especially with the extension of the weekend, where employees can complete their graduate studies, participate in training courses, start a special project, or even travel to different destinations.
9- Is the UAE the first Arab or Islamic country to approve an amendment to the weekly work system to make Friday an official working day?
It is known that most countries of the world adopt Saturday and Sunday as a weekly holiday, including many Arab and Islamic countries, such as Morocco, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and others.
10 - Who is responsible for the details and guidelines of the new work system?
Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.
11- What about the rest of the approved holidays in 2022, which fall on Friday or were carried over to Thursday?
The approved vacation dates in 2022 will be considered and approved based on the new decision.
12- Does the time of work conflict with the obligatory prayer and Friday prayer?
There is no conflict, as the decision was made to unify the date of the Friday sermon and prayer, to be after 1:15 pm at the state level throughout the year.
13- Does working on Friday contradict Sharia and religious texts?
There are no legal texts that specify a specific day for the holiday, as evidenced by the Almighty’s saying: “O you who have believed, when the call to prayer is called on Friday, then seek the remembrance of God and abandon the sale. That is better for you, if you knew.”
Also, the official working time on Friday ends before the Friday prayer is performed, and it does not conflict with it
14- Is this the first time that the weekly work system has been modified in the UAE?
The weekend in the immersion country has been modified several times:
1971 - 199: The Emirates adopted Friday as a weekly holiday
1999-2006: Thursday was added to the weekly holiday, making it two days
2006 - 2021: amending the weekly leave to Friday and Saturday
2022: amending the weekly leave to Saturday, Sunday and half of Friday
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