Latest: UAE weekend change: Saturday-Sunday off
It was a simple headline that introduced a sweeping change: "Saturday to replace Thursday as weekend in the UAE as of September 1".
"Federal ministries, government departments and schools would now close on Friday and Saturday,” reported state news agency Wam on May 16, 2006.
“Saturday will therefore replace Thursday as weekend."
The decision brought the UAE closer in line with the rest of the world.
When Thursday became a holiday, it was welcome relief
Stanley Johnson
Media reports from the time reflected on how the new weekend would boost business, the stock market and foreign trade as it would reduce the interruption between the world and the UAE’s weekend.
But the 2006 announcement was not the first alteration to the schedule. For decades, it had only been Friday, meaning life could be challenging for businesses.
"In 1981, our weekend was Friday afternoon," said Tim Sanderson, who worked in the UAE at the time. "We had to be in the office on Thursday [afternoon] and Friday [morning] in case a customer contacted us. There were no emails, mobiles or pagers – just rotary dial phones and telex."
By 1999, the UAE had decided to fix the weekend as Thursday and Friday.
“I distinctly remember the shift from a single weekend day of Friday to an additional day in Thursday,” said Stanley Johnson, who was in high school in Sharjah at the time.
“I remember having Thursdays initially as a half school day as schools tried to complete portions before exams by cramming in the extra half day for higher classes,” said Mr Johnson.
“When Thursday became a holiday it was welcome relief.”
Despite the 1999 change, the UAE was still not aligned with the global working week at a time when the country’s financial markets were growing rapidly.
Business people and media professionals in the West had to work hard to ensure their tasks were completed.
“[I have] fond memories of reporting on the Middle East from London in 2003, [with] a wallchart that showed different time zones and working days across the region,” said John Everington, who worked as a business journalist.
“I remember scrambling to get UAE [government] entities on the phone before 11am on Wednesday to have any hope of a comment before press day.”
The 2006 decision changed this as the country modernised and adapted to new challenges.
“Our weekend was getting closer to the western world,” said Marites Dizon, who has lived in the UAE since 1997.
“On the business side of things, the switch was good in terms of communication with the rest of the world.”
A year after the 2006 change, local newspapers reported that it had been welcomed by most residents but many in the private sector still continued to work a six-day week.
The rest of the Gulf followed, with Saudi Arabia the last to make the change in 2013.
UAE authorities on Tuesday have now gone one step further and the country becomes the first in the Arabian Gulf to introduce a weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
"Many developed countries have shown the benefits of shorter work weeks and this move may take a while for everyone to get used to but, in the long run, it is a positive change that many will appreciate,” said Mr Johnson, who still lives in the UAE.
“Flexibility on Fridays while Sunday being off strikes a balance between the Friday afternoon prayer times as well as the closed markets globally.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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least 17 staff members
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The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
SPECS
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The five pillars of Islam
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Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
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Price: Dh240,000
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20profile
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
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Dhadak 2
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
