Ramadan hours in the different GCC countries generally follow the same trend of reducing the time spent at work, but to what extent and the time slots vary from country to country.
Kuwait has come in with the shortest working hours with public sector employees working from 9am to 1.30pm for a four-and-a-half-hour day during the holy month.
UAE, Qatar and Oman’s public sector working hours were reduced two hours, with government workers coming in at 9am and leaving at 2pm.
Saudi Arabia has decided to begin the working day later by starting at 10am while still continuing with the Ramadan allotted hours until 3pm.
Bahrain, however, has kept up the trend of working longer than its GCC neighbours, making public sector employees work from 8am until 2am for a total of six hours.
For all GCC private sector companies, work is reduced by two hours from the already agreed upon work hours. The vast majority of companies in the region give fasters an extra hour if they waive their lunch break.
Other companies have provided employees with options to work from home or even work after futoor, the evening meal eaten when the daily fast ends.
Many of those fasting find working after iftar, caffeinated and well-fed a much easier prospect and therefore take their work home.
