• Families enjoy their day off at the Green Heaven Farm in Sharjah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Families enjoy their day off at the Green Heaven Farm in Sharjah. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Nassir Al Kashwani, 45, a Sharjah Department of Finance employee, with his daughter Hajar, 8, at their home. Photo: Nassir Al Kashwani
    Nassir Al Kashwani, 45, a Sharjah Department of Finance employee, with his daughter Hajar, 8, at their home. Photo: Nassir Al Kashwani
  • Tala Saadi, from Jordan, says her children Juman, 10, and Rayan, 7, spend the extended weekend at home watching content on their tablets. Photo: Tala Saadi
    Tala Saadi, from Jordan, says her children Juman, 10, and Rayan, 7, spend the extended weekend at home watching content on their tablets. Photo: Tala Saadi
  • Beit Sitti Restaurant in Sharjah’s Al Qasba has reported an increase in footfall since January. Salam Al Amir / The National
    Beit Sitti Restaurant in Sharjah’s Al Qasba has reported an increase in footfall since January. Salam Al Amir / The National

Six months after it adopted a four-day week, has life in Sharjah changed?


Salam Al Amir
  • English
  • Arabic

People in Sharjah who now work four days a week have said they are healthier, happier, and have more time with their families.

Sharjah rang in the changes on January 1 by introducing a four-day working week after the UAE federal government adopted a Saturday-Sunday weekend, with half a day of work on Fridays.

And, six months on, people in the emirate said they are happier.

It also provides an additional day of weekend trade for businesses keen to serve customers who are now enjoying more leisure time.

The National spoke to people in Sharjah about how their life has changed in the past six months.

Government workers

Emirati Nassir Al Kashwani, 45, who works for the Sharjah Department of Finance, said he is a happier and more engaged parent now.

“I have four children and I'm spending more time with them. I have become more of a friend to them than just a father," Mr Al Kashwani said.

"I have built a strong bond with the children and have discovered more about their interests".

“My eight-year-old daughter has a passion for make-up art. She wants to take courses and become a make-up artist. I was not aware of this earlier.”

He said the one extra day off means his extended family meets once or twice a week. His brothers and sisters and their families gather at their elderly parents' home.

"My parents look forward to meeting all of us and this gives them emotional strength in old age. They feel loved and cared for," he said.

Mr Al Kashwani said before the decision was passed he would go to work tired on Sunday if the extended families met on a Saturday evening.

“Recently it's become more relaxed. We meet the family from my side and from my wife’s side and still have time to relax or do other things,” he said.

Nassir Al Kashwani, 45, an employee at the Sharjah Department of Finance, with his daughter Hajar, 8, at their home. Photo: Nassir Al Kashwani
Nassir Al Kashwani, 45, an employee at the Sharjah Department of Finance, with his daughter Hajar, 8, at their home. Photo: Nassir Al Kashwani

Mr Al Kashwani is also an agent for football players, working independently to get better them contracts in local clubs, as well as a die-hard fan of the sport. With an extra day off work, he can now watch all the games of his favourite Brazilian team.

“Sometimes, I need to stay up late to watch some games due to the time difference and I used to go to work tired and sleepless but now it's different,” he said.

The three-day weekend also means people go out more and spend more. In business, we call it "retain of earnings”, he said.

“The more people have time, the more they go sightseeing, the more they will shop and dine out and this means the economy will grow,” Mr Al Kashwani said.

Tourism and hospitality

A three-day weekend has been a blessing for the restaurant industry, especially after the pandemic.

Beit Sitti Restaurant in Sharjah’s Al Qasba has seen a big increase in footfall during the past few months as the weather was cooler.

Mr Cliff, floor manager at the restaurant, said tables were full as people had more time off and the weather was good.

“We had many customers coming but now it's off-season so a dip is expected,” he said.

Hotel bookings have also increased in the past six months but it has not been a very substantial growth.

Mohamed Moneim, front office manager at the Double Tree Hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, said many guests come from Sharjah and he expects more people to come for short staycations over the summer months.

“Although the rise in hotel guest numbers is not a remarkable increase, it is an increase nonetheless, and the long weekend is one of the factors that contributed to it,” he said.

“I expect that in the near future the number of guests will further rise.”

Family life

The long weekend rule does not apply to the private sector and it is up to these companies to offer a two or three-day weekend to employees.

Not all have benefitted from the change and some employees even work six days a week.

The new labour law, which came into effect on February 2, gave the private sector the flexibility to decide the employees’ weekends, as long as they have at least one day off per week.

“I work four days while my husband works six days for a private company,” said Tala Saadi, 40, from Jordan who works in a private school in Sharjah.

Tala Saadi, from Jordan, says her children Juman, 10, and Rayan, 7, spend the extended weekend at home watching or playing on their tablets as her husband works six days a week. Photo: Tala Saadi
Tala Saadi, from Jordan, says her children Juman, 10, and Rayan, 7, spend the extended weekend at home watching or playing on their tablets as her husband works six days a week. Photo: Tala Saadi

Her two children spend their weekend at home and are bored, she said.

“We have our lunches alone as usual and do some homework, then my children watch TV or play on their tablets.”

They rarely leave the house because the family has one car, which her husband uses to go to work.

“My children miss their father very much. They ask about him more because now they have more free time on their hands to notice he is gone for long hours,” she said.

“My husband’s one-day holiday is barely enough for him to rest, fix things around the house, buy essential items, visit other family members here, or spend time with.”

Ms Tala hopes the three-day weekend would be implemented in the private and public sectors and across the country.

“I'm sure there are many other families, like mine, who have members who have a long work week.”

The push to enforce a four-day workweek has gathered pace around the world.

In February, Belgium made the switch without loss of salary, while the UK began its trial of a four-day working week.

In Scotland, a government trial is due to start in 2023, while Wales is also considering it.

Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman,  Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)

TEAMS

EUROPE:
Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson

USA:
Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth,​​​​​​​ Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau ( 1 TBC)

The%20specs
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The biog

Family: Parents and four sisters

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah

A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls

Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction

Favourite holiday destination: Italy

Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning

Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes

Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure

Scoreline

Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')

Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')

Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'

SCHEDULE FOR SHOW COURTS

Centre Court - from 4pm (UAE time)
Angelique Kerber (1) v Irina Falconi 
Martin Klizan v Novak Djokovic (2)
Alexandr Dolgopolov v Roger Federer (3)

Court One - from 4pm
Milos Raonic (6) v Jan-Lennard Struff
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Evgeniya Rodina 
Dominic Thiem (8) v Vasek Pospisil

Court Two - from 2.30pm
Juan Martin Del Potro (29) v Thanasi Kokkinakis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Jelena Jankovic
Jeremy Chardy v Tomas Berdych (11)
Ons Jabeur v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)

General%20Classification
%3Cp%3E1.%20Elisa%20Longo%20Borghini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%3Cbr%3E2.%20Gaia%20Realini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%207%20secs%3Cbr%3E3.%20Silvia%20Persico%20(ITA)%20UAE%20Team%20ADQ%201%20min%2018%20secs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate

Like a Fading Shadow

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez

Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)

RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

Oppenheimer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Nolan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Blunt%2C%20Robert%20Downey%20Jr%2C%20Florence%20Pugh%2C%20Matt%20Damon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
INFO

What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.

Company%C2%A0profile
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Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

The%20Woman%20King%20
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Updated: June 10, 2022, 9:36 AM