UAE Stock Markets to Shift to Monday-to-Friday Working Week

A logo in Arabic and English sits on display at the entrance to the Saudi Stock Exchange, also known as Tadawul, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. A month after the murder of government critic Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, bankers say the rewards of doing business with the oil-rich kingdom far outweigh the risks. Photographer: Mohammed Almuaalemi/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

Abeer Abu Omar and Manus Cranny, Bloomberg News

Dec 8, 2021

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(Bloomberg) --

Stock exchanges in the United Arab Emirates will start operating Monday-to-Friday following the Gulf country’s decision to switch its working week, according to a government official.

“They will operate Monday-Friday and Friday will be a full business day for the stock markets,” Abdulrahman Al Awar, Director General at the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, said in a Bloomberg TV interview on Wednesday.

UAE Departs From Mideast Weekend in Switch Aimed at Global Trade

The UAE said Tuesday it will switch its weekend to Saturday and Sunday for employees of federal entities, breaking ranks with the rest of the Gulf Arab region and accelerating a push to draw in international investment and business. It will adopt a 4 1/2-day working week, with Friday -- a holy day in Islam -- being a half day.  

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