UAE Switches Weekend to Saturday-Sunday, Adopts 4 ½ Day Week
The United Arab Emirates will move its weekend to Saturday and Sunday for state employees, breaking ranks with the rest of the Gulf as it accelerates a push to draw in international investment and business. The UAE -- which has been the Middle East’s commercial capital for more than a decade and has been facing growing regional competition from Saudi Arabia -- is seeking to reposition itself as a global hub for business. Like other Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, it currently has a Sunday-to-Thursday working week. The changes, which the government said will allow the UAE to align more closely with global markets, will come into effect Jan. 1 and apply to the public sector and schools. There will be a 4 1/2-day working week with Friday -- a holy day in Islam -- being a half day, the federal governmentSign up for our Middle East newsletter and follow us @middleeast for news on the region. The United Arab Emirates will move its weekend to Saturday and Sunday for sta...