UAE shrinks work week and shifts weekend

While becoming the only Gulf country not to have a Friday-Saturday weekend, the UAE now comes into line with the non-Arab world. Photo: AFP

The United Arab Emirates is slashing its official working week to four-and-a-half days and moving its weekend to Saturday and Sunday in a major shift aimed at improving competitiveness, officials said recently.

The "national working week" is mandatory for government bodies from Jan 1 and bucks the regional norm of a full day off on Friday for Muslim prayers.