After UAE, Saudi Arabia might switch to three-day weekend

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is thinking of making the weekend three-days-long, according to the local paper Al Madina.

In response to a question on Twitter, the ministry said that it is examining legislation and evaluating the labour system in order to boost job creation and improve the market's appeal to both domestic and foreign investors.

The first country in the GCC to change its two-day weekend system was the United Arab Emirates. The UAE government adopted the new four-and-a-half-day work week at the beginning of 2022. In the UAE, Monday to Thursday, workdays start at 7:30 am and end at 3:30 pm. But on Friday, the working hours end at 12 noon.

Oman is reportedly thinking about having a three-day weekend as well, according to Gulf News. The Council of Ministers has the authority to decide on this matter, according to a Ministry of Labour representative, and there is no opposition to looking into this suggestion and putting it up for discussion.

Four-day working week

A four-day working week is more productive for most staff and companies than the traditional five days, one of the biggest trials of its kind conducted in the UK reported recently.

Over 60 firms in Britain took part in the six-month experiment allowing almost 3,000 employees to work one day less per week while retaining the same salary.

It has been described as the world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week.

The study found more than nine out of ten firms will continue with the shortened working week or plan to do so, organisers said in a statement.