New UAE weekend: What happens to private sector employees?

  DUBAI – As UAE government workers prepare to shift to a Saturday-Sunday weekend starting on January 1, questions arise on how the weekend change will affect private sector employees. On December 7, the UAE Government announced that government sector employees will move from a Friday-Saturday weekend to a Saturday-Sunday weekend in line with global practices. The new work rule will take effect on January 1. With the new weekend, government employees will work from Monday to Thursday, and a half day on Friday. Authorities have not yet announced whether the same rule will apply to employees in the private sector. However, many private companies have already announced that they will also adopt a Saturday-Sunday weekend. Are private sector companies required to adopt the new Saturday-Sunday weekend for employees? The answer is no. The UAE Government has not made the new Saturday-Sunday weekend mandatory for private sector companies in the UAE. This means that private companies may continue with their existing work week or adopt the new weekend as they deem fit. Under the UAE Employment Law, workers are granted at least one paid weekly rest day as specified by the employment contract. ICA/Expat Media
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