The UAE News report: The UAE on Tuesday announced a landmark decision by introducing a new weekend and reduced working hours starting from next year. 

The UAE announced on Tuesday that it will transition to a four-and-a-half-day working week, with Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday forming the new weekend. All Federal government departments will move to the new weekend from January 1, 2022.

The authorities added that with this move, the UAE has become the first nation in the world to introduce a national working week shorter than the global five-day week.

The working week will start on Monday and end on Friday afternoon. The working hours for federal employees are set to be from 7.30am to 3.30pm, with 8.5 working hours per day. On Friday, employees will work for 4.5 hours.

On Fridays, employees will also be allowed to choose flexible work or work-from-home options. The long weekend is aimed at boosting productivity and improving work-life balance.