Some UAE federal government employees will be able to apply for a switch to a four-day week from July 1 under new flexible working rules set out by authorities.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources said staff could be eligible to complete their set weekly hours in four days – working no more than 10 hours per day or 40 hours per week – as part of the intensive working hours plan, if agreed by their employer.
The authority said in an update later on Thursday that the application of the four-day week would be "subject to specific, clear, and exceptional regulations" relating to individual federal bodies and job roles and would require prior approval.
The new measures, which have been published on the authority's website this week, form part of a new working model outlined for government employees.
The plan also allows for remote working, both in and outside of the country and to cover temporary and part-time jobs.
"The system is allowed to be applied in exceptional cases in accordance with the regulations specified in the human resources manuals, and it is only done with the approval of the head of the entity, and it is within a specific and short period of time," said the authority in a notice shared on social media.
The move to a three-day weekend for some workers is in line with the UAE's efforts to deliver more agile and efficient employment rules.
In November 2021, authorities introduced similar procedures for the private sector, covering temporary and flexible work, freelance jobs, condensed working hours and shared jobs.
A condensed working model was established in which staff could work for only three days per week, as long as they completed 40 hours in this period.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said this would require the agreement of both the employee and the employer.
Four-day week pays dividends
The UAE moved to a 4.5 day week for government staff in January 2022, as part of its shift to a Saturday-Sunday weekend, which moved it in line with many leading economies across the globe.
The new rules allowed for staff to work full-time from Monday to Thursday, with a half day on Fridays.
Sharjah introduced its own a four-day work week for government workers at the same time.
The emirate's leadership said the switch had proved successful.
Eight months after Sharjah adopted a four-day work week, the number of road-related accidents and deaths in the emirate has been slashed by 40 per cent, official figures showed.
In the first three months of the year, the emirate noted a huge reduction in traffic accidents and fatalities compared with the same period last year.
Findings from a study presented at a Sharjah Executive Council meeting last August attributed the drop in road traffic accidents to the new working week.
Officials said there has also been a significant boost in government employee productivity. Those working in departments that enjoy a Friday to Sunday weekend reported feeling healthier and happier, and having more time to spend with their families.
As a result, customer happiness also improved across a number of Sharjah government services.
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Jawan
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MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Honeymoonish
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
More on Quran memorisation:
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
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UAE%20Warriors%2033%20Results
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Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
