The Banking Executive Magazine - March 2023 Issue

Saudi Arabia is considering a three- day weekend after the UAE imple- mented it last year, according to local media reports. Local media reported that the Min- istry of Human Resources and Social Development, in response to a tweet, said that it is studying the current work system regarding the possibility of extending the weekly leave for three days. According to reports, the response appeared on the ministry’s Twitter ac- count that is used to answer the questions from its beneficiaries. The tweet said that the ministry is study- ing the current work system through a periodic review to achieve in- creased job creation and raise the at- tractiveness of the market for local and international investments. It also explained that a draft of the work sys- tem had been put forward in a survey platform for public consultations. The UAE introduced a shorter work- week on January 1, 2022, while it moved its Friday-Saturday weekend to Saturday-Sunday in a landmark re- form. The new system was rolled out across all government entities and most firms in the private sector fol- lowed suit. On Fridays, the working hours are only until noon. In Sharjah, however, a shorter four- day workweek was implemented, with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday forming the new weekend. the BANKING EXECUTIVE 42 ISSUE 171 MARCH 2023 Career Chronicle 3-DAY WEEKEND: AFTER UAE, NOW SAUDI ARABIA IS CONSIDERING A SHORTER WORKWEEK