The United Arab Emirates became the first Muslim country to cancel the day off on Friday. Now Saturday and Sunday have officially become the holidays.

All relevant regulations will come into force from the beginning of 2022 and will affect not only the labor sector, but also the educational sphere — schools and universities will also need to adjust to the new regime.

This is the day on which the traditional sermon and prayer are held weekly in mosques, which are mandatory for men, and the rest of the day is supposed to be devoted to the family. For this reason, in most other Muslim countries, the working week officially begins on Sunday, which until recently was also accepted in the UAE. At the same time, states such as Saudi Arabia and Iran declared Friday the only day off.

The authorities note that the new rule, which actually provides citizens with more free time, should "increase labor productivity and improve the balance between work and personal life.

In addition, such a schedule change will affect the economic activity of the UAE. It will help the state to facilitate the implementation of different financial and trade operations through coordination with world markets.