Abu Dhabi, December 7, 2021 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government is to adopt a new four and a half day working week, effective from 1st January, 2022, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. The move applies to Federal government entities and comes alongside new working hours, with Monday to Thursday workdays now starting at 7:30 am and ending at 3:30 pm, and Friday working hours from 7:30 am - 12:00 pm. Alongside the move, Friday sermons and prayers across the UAE will be held from 1:15 pm. Government staff will have the flexibility to make arrangements to work from home on Fridays, as well as to arrange their working hours on a flexi-time basis. The UAE is the first nation in the world to introduce a national working week shorter than the global five-day week, WAM said. --SPA 14:03 LOCAL TIME 11:03 GMT 0016 www.spa.gov.sa/w1661395