Half of companies operating in the UAE have said they are looking to adopt the new shift in weekend, according to the results of a business pulse survey from Aon Middle East.
However, while there appears to be general acceptance of a Saturday/Sunday weekend, firms said it was “too early to say” whether they would be moving to a four-and-a-half day week.
Earlier this month the UAE announced that it was breaking away from the traditional Friday/Saturday weekend for public sector employees, aligning itself with much of the rest of the world and boosting its status as a global business hub. The UAE also revealed its intention to become the only country in the world to adopt a 4 1/2-day week, for federal government staff.
Private companies have been left to decide for themselves how to adjust, with many already signalling their intent to move weekends and a select few indicating a desire to reduce the working week.
The Aon survey covered 169 firms across all industries, with 92 percent of responses from private firms. Some 49 percent said they were intending to adopt the new weekend, with 7 percent saying they wouldn’t and 44 percent remaining undecided for the time being.
Back in 2006, when the UAE switched its weekend to Friday and Saturday (from Thursday and Friday), it was quickly followed by Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC, but this time might be different because there are “sensitivities about Friday being a day of prayer. Whether other GCC countries do it will depend on how connected they are to the global markers and eventually how connected they are to the UAE”, said Sami Halabi, director of policy and co-founder at Triangle, a development, policy and media consulting firm.
So far no other country in the GCC has followed the UAE’s decision. According to the survey, there was an even split of 20 percent believing the move will positively and negatively impact business with GCC clients; 50 percent believed GCC clients would still expect business to be available on Sunday for work; and 30 percent said they would be introducing weekend rosters to accommodate this.
Overall, just over a half of those surveyed (54 percent) believed other GCC countries would follow suit.
In terms of the shortened working week, 21 percent said they would be making the switch, with 23 percent saying they wouldn’t and 55 percent revealing it was too soon to decide.
The landmark move comes amid a global battle for talent, with regional pressures – particularly from neighbouring Saudi Arabia – to attract and retain the very best companies and individuals.
The survey revealed 74 percent of respondents believe it will give them a competitive advantage in talent acquisition.
And while 62 percent said reducing the working week to just four-and-a-half days would impact productivity levels, just 10 percent said it would have a negative impact on business, with 27 percent saying positive.
While other countries in the GCC maintain a Friday and Saturday weekend, UAE-based regional headquarters of multinationals may need to adopt flexible working hours – something which is accounted for in the new labour law, going into effect on February 2, 2022.
According to the survey results, the change in rules and regulations will impact and encourage 71 percent of firms to explore flexibility in terms of work-life balance.
Raymond Everett, CEO of Human Capital at Aon, for Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, said: “As the United Arab Emirates has made this shift to improve work-life balance and cater the working week to fit global markets, we may soon see this shift take place in other GCC markets who look to align themselves globally as well.
“This shift is causing firms all over the country to explore how work is administered in their organisations and we are expecting to see a rise in flexible working models throughout the country.”
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