Residents of the UAE would be forgiven for being slightly discombobulated this weekend, as they experienced the first working Friday – alongside the second Saturday-Sunday weekend – in the country’s history.
This policy change has affected a wide cross-section of society. To be precise, 70 per cent of federal government employees are now expected to be in offices on Friday. Many private sector companies have followed suit, and more are expected to do so in the coming weeks and months. The change also affects schoolchildren, who now follow a 4.5-day week in most of the country.
People, therefore, should permit themselves a few more weeks of psychological reprogramming to get used to this significant change in routine. The UAE is, after all, only the third country in the Middle East to follow the Monday-Friday working week, the others being Turkey and Lebanon, even though many Muslim-majority countries have made the shift.
Notwithstanding some anticipated confusion, there has also been plenty of continuity. Data from the Google-owned navigation app Waze showed only a small increase in traffic around commuter hotspots on Friday. While this minimal disruption is possibly in part caused by holidays and more people staying at home due to rising Covid-19 infections, the largely seamless transition bodes well for the next few weeks and months when people return and, hopefully, coronavirus cases drop.
Those observing Friday prayers also adjusted to the new routine with ease. The dhuhr prayer time, which normally falls between noon and 12.30pm, has now been moved forward by roughly an hour in
most of the country, with sermons beginning at 1.15pm. Times remain unchanged in Sharjah, which has gone further than other emirates by adopting a four-day working week in the public sector. Manal Ataya, director general of Sharjah Museums Authority, told The National that she believes more time off will encourage residents to benefit from the emirate’s expanding cultural scene and museums.
Such hopes for growth in this new and exciting sector reflect the wider aspirations behind a new working week: to realise the UAE’s potential in a connected and competitive global economy, which demands agility to attract the best of future industries, connectivity and talent.
An early indication that business is ready is the number of private firms that are onboard with the change. A December survey conducted by Mercer found that most private sector companies were supportive of the move to a Monday-Friday schedule, with one in four set to adopt the 4.5-day working week. And, in a timely sign that disruption to business seems to be minimal so far, the value of real estate transactions in Dubai on Friday topped $690 million.
Amid this major change to day-to-day life, and the smaller quirks it gives rise to, it is important to remember that the move is fundamentally about reaping the rewards of the UAE’s progress over the past 50 years. Working Monday to Friday is sometimes known as the “western working week”. The UAE and others are showing that in an increasingly globalised economy, in which many different cultures and countries play a part, that term is due some revision.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.