Media reports from Saudi Arabia suggest that the Kingdom is exploring the possibility of adopting a three-day weekend.
According to Al Madina newspaper, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is currently examining the possibility of shifting to a four-day workweek and a three-day weekend.
The ministry stated that the labour system in Saudi Arabia is presently undergoing evaluation, and any modifications to it must consider the employment generation objectives.
Saudi Arabia 3-day weekend
The remarks were made as a response to a question posed on Twitter.
Weekends in Saudi Arabia are typically a Friday and Saturday for most of the major organisations.
Shifting to a 3-day weekend in parts of the UAE has been hailed as a success, as it has resulted in elevated productivity and a significant reduction in the number of sick leaves taken by employees.
4-day workweek in UAE
From January last year, government agencies in Sharjah adopted a four-day workweek.
Following a review by the Sharjah Executive Council of a study on the three-day weekend work system, it was revealed that there was an 88% increase in employee productivity across various government entities.
Furthermore, the transition to the new working week system resulted in other notable outcomes, such as an 81% increase in positive communication among employees, a 61% rise in the rate of delivering e-government services outside of official working hours, a 74% increase in the attendance rate, a 76% increase in innovation and creativity, and a 46% reduction in the sick leave rate.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
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