Ramadan 2020: Everything you need to know about the holy month in the UAE
Federal and ministerial employees across the UAE will work five hours per day this Ramadan.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources released the details on Sunday.
Office hours will start at 9am and end at 2pm, though most staff will work from home because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Ramadan is expected to begin on April 23, according to the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences. The exact date will be confirmed by the UAE’s Moon Sighting Committee – a group of astronomers, court officials and advisers from the country’s Islamic authority.
They begin searching for the new crescent moon after Maghrib prayers on the 29th day of Sha’ban, the Islamic month preceding Ramadan.
If it cannot be seen, or is known using calculations to not be in the sky, it will be considered to be the 30th day of the month.
But if the new crescent is spotted, Ramadan will begin on the following day.
Private-sector working hours were expected to be released soon.
Last year, they were two hours shorter than the contracted working day, while schools taught lessons for five hours, usually between 8am and 1pm.
