The UAE's weekend switch has left some parents trying to adjust to a new week, which means they will be working when their children are off.
Government offices and schools shifted to a Monday-to-Friday working week from January 1.
Private companies, however, have been allowed to set their own schedule, with some choosing to stick with the old Sunday-to-Thursday routine for now.
This means some parents will work on Sundays while their children are off, but be off work on Friday mornings when their children are at school.
There is more time off school, which means we've got to spend more. But we'll have more family time
Hasaah Hadi
"Our company has announced it will not be changing to the new weekend, which will massively impact my family life," said Louise, 38, who works in the construction management and consultancy sector that will be sticking with the old working week for now.
"My husband's company will be changing to the new weekend so this means that I will have only one day per week with my family," said Louise, a mother of two who did not wish to give her second name. "This is a deal breaker," she said. "I will give it a few months to see if my company changes. If not, I will be looking for a new job."
Louise said she will probably increase her nanny's salary to pay for the extra time needed to care for her two children.
Kimi, 47, who works in a private school and has a son who is autistic and needs extra care, said the new working week will affect their routines.
"The only impact will be longer hours in school," said Kimi, who also declined to give her second name. "[Our] son, who is in special school, will leave at his regular time but as a professional in a private school I have to stay back longer, which is very tough for us."
Kimi anticipates having to spend extra time preparing lessons to ensure all children can cover the curriculum within the shorter school week.
She is often nervous about leaving her son with her maid for extended periods because he has substantial needs. "Being on the [autism] spectrum, he can have big meltdowns if he is not handled with care," she said. "He is sensitive to commands and demands. [It] will surely affect his schedule and mine too."
But parents working for companies who have chosen to switch welcomed the new week.
Wealth manager Hasaah Hadi described the move as brilliant because she would get to spend more time with her family.
She works full time and will be putting her two sons, aged 12 and 13, into after-school clubs on Friday, costing her an extra Dh1,500 a month.
"But at the same time, our income level needs to go up as well, because there is more time off school, which means we've got to spend more," she said.
Ms Hadi thinks she will have to work about an hour longer each day during the new 4.5-day working week. "But [we have] more family time."
Meanwhile, childcare providers and after-school clubs have noted a surge in inquiries for Friday afternoon from parents who will be at work while their children are off.
"We have had an increase for demand on Friday," said Joanna Dawson, childcare manager for Malaak Mama and Baby Care, a childcare agency.
Jump Sports Academies, which offers activities such as gymnastics and football, are preparing to add classes on Friday afternoons, said Mattias Bjork, its director of business development.
Carissa Valentim-Du Toit, childcare development manager at CloudNine Kids, a childcare company based in Dubai, said many parents working in the private sector will not be making the transition to the new 4.5-day working week, while others do not yet know what their employer plans to do.
"We believe that January will be a month of trial and error for everyone in the UAE," Ms Valentim-Du Toit said.
"[So people can] identify what works best in terms of their work and family responsibilities."
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England v New Zealand (Saturday, 12pm)
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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Company%20profile
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The specs
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Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
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- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
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- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
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- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
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- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Price: From Dh590,000
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
