The UAE shortened its working week to four and a half days, moving its weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday, in a major shift designed to align business with western makers and improve work-life balance.

The study which is based on the views of 1,000 people in the UAE- revealed more than half (53%) of United Arab Emirates (UAE) professionals have now transitioned to a 4.5 working day week.

The research also found the overwhelming majority (91%) of respondents believed the new working week would have a positive impact on employees’ mental wellbeing.

Darren Ryan Global Creative Director 3Gem Research & Insights commented “The findings of our survey are really encouraging to see. Any major change on this scale is bound to have its challenges and initial teething problems. However, the evidence is clear that a shorter working week has so far had a positive effect. People are working more efficiently and it’s proving to have a positive effect on their mental well-being. That’s great news for employers to hear too”

This positive outcome is in line with what the UAE government was hoping. A solution that would boost work-life balance and enhance social wellbeing, while at the same time increasing performance to improve the UAE’s economic competitiveness with the rest of the world.