The Government of Dubai has announced a new program granting a four-day workweek and three days off for several public sector employees during the summer months.
Under this initiative, government employees will be divided into two groups. The first group will work eight hours per day from Monday to Thursday and will have Friday through Sunday off.
The second group will work seven hours per day from Monday to Thursday and half-day on Friday, with Saturday and Sunday designated as their days off. This program will be implemented from July 1 to September 12.
Earlier during the summer of 2024, the Dubai Government’s Human Resources Department introduced a similar pilot program.
As part of that pilot, employees participated in a survey to provide feedback on work hours during the summer, and it was proposed that office hours be reduced during August and September.
Following its review of the pilot, the Human Resources Department declared the initiative successful and recommended its extension for another year.
Director General of Dubai’s Human Resources Department, Abdullah Al Faisal, said the objective of the program is to improve employees’ quality of life and enhance the sustainability of government resources.
It is worth noting that the Sharjah government also introduced a four-day workweek and three-day weekend in 2022.
This move followed the UAE federal government’s implementation of a 4.5-day workweek starting in January 2022.
