The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is considering extending the weekend to three days.
In response to a Twitter inquiry, the ministry indicated that it is actively evaluating the labor system and amending legislation in order to enhance job creation and make the market more appealing to both domestic and international investors.
The UAE was the first GCC country to abandon its two-day weekend system. The UAE government implemented a new four-and-a-half-day working week on 1 January 2022, with Monday through Thursday workdays beginning at 7.30 am and finishing at 3.30 pm, and Friday workdays beginning at 7.30 am and ending at 12 noon.
Actively evaluating the labor system and amending legislation in order to enhance job creation
Meanwhile, Oman is rumored to be thinking about a three-day weekend. According to a Ministry of Labor official, the decision on this matter is under the jurisdiction of the Council of Ministers, and there is no opposition to analyzing and discussing this idea.