The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MoHRSD) in Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to switch to a four-day working week and three-day weekend system. The ministry wants to make working in Saudi Arabia more attractive as it looks to lure local and international investment.
Three-day Weekend System: Saudia to Follow UAE’s Footsteps
In January 2022, UAE implemented the Three-day weekend system in Sharjah. As a result, the council finds an increase in employee productivity to around 88 percent across government entities. The change also led to:
• 81 percent increase in positive communication between employees
• 61 percent increase in the rate of providing e-government services outside of official working hours
• 74 percent increase in the attendance rate
• 76 percent increase in innovation and creativity
• 46 percent decrease in sick leave rate
Hence, the Saudi government is also trying to implement the same system to improve various aspects of work-life balance for employees. It should be noted that currently, Saudia’s job system considers Friday and Saturday as the official days of rest, but in certain cases, Saturday might be considered a working day.
Also read: Saudi Arabia Introduces AI-powered Robot Sara Who Can Converse in Arabic Dialect
