Parents and children in the United Arab Emirates are looking forward to the new weekend of 2022

As we trade one year for the next, we also make a transition: In the United Arab Emirates, weekends change to combine with international days off. The move, announced on December 7, was welcomed by parents and children across the country, especially since in some sectors – like education – the change would come with half a day on Friday.

Ahead of the big move – changes will come on January 1 – we asked moms and kids what they’re most looking forward to in the coming weeks.

Indian expatriate Sarah Ali is a real estate agent who works with international clients. “Earlier, with our weekends from Friday to Saturday and theirs from Saturday to Sunday, we would lose a day – there would be late responses and so on. This change will improve communication.

“On a lighter note, there are many cards with messages and jokes that refer to the Saturday-Sunday format. We will identify more with that I think.

“As someone who has worked weekends in the UAE, Thursday through Friday through Friday and Saturday, in 1998, I think the first few weeks will be tough, but we’ll settle in soon enough. “

Kavya Khaturia says she and her children – ages 10 and 6 – are also eagerly awaiting change and spending more time at home. The Indian expatriate who teaches in a school adds: “Because they will have more time at home, once they get back to school, their attention span will also increase and their productivity will also increase. Plus, overall too, I think it’s going to be fine. I’m from India so once my family comes back from India it’s going to be good because otherwise they would fly for their weekend which is a Saturday and then Sunday we would go back to work so that will be a good thing.

Rebecca Andrews, Career and Transition Coach, based in the United Arab Emirates, says: “The new working weekend in the United Arab Emirates is a welcome change. We can align with the rest of the world in terms of professional, business and personal priorities. Adjusting to the new standard may take a while, but it will eventually set in. “

Dubai-based wellness and ontology coach Geeta Ramakrishnan, “My first thought is more free time for the children, hurray. Education and knowledge are important. However, when one is overworked and As play and recreation priorities are reduced, it removes the fun balance of growth.Parents can help channel this time into recreational, social and community activities and interactions.

“The long weekend gives children the opportunity to focus on creating value, learning empathy, compassion and learning to give back to society. While the initial parent reaction may be, I need to invest more time in my group of high energy kids, it is still a win-win bonding opportunity.

Often times people resist change, but this time around it’s a welcome departure from the usual. For Indian expat Fabiha Khalid, moving to Dubai three years ago required a change of perspective. “We had to adjust to a lot and the change over the weekend was the most difficult. My husband, who works for a US-based company, also had to work Fridays, which meant we only had one day to enjoy as a family. Our friends and family are spread all over the world and with different time zones and different weekends, it was more difficult to stay in touch. Hopefully we can now have more Zoom Family Meetings with everyone.

“The children’s extracurricular schedule seems a bit hit and miss right now. Some places shift their hours from Friday to Sunday and others to Saturday. In a few weeks the problems will be fixed and we will all be running like well-oiled machines, ”she told Gulf News.

British mother-of-one Trishna also believes the move will mean more ties with family abroad: “It will be so much easier for us to keep in touch with our friends, family and we can connect one. little more easily with grandparents. now too.

“Plus when we travel we get that extra weekend day with the family rather than traveling a day earlier like we did before because the weekends are in sync,” she adds.

South African expat Melanie Penny, who homeschool her child, says the change of weekends and shifting work hours will have a positive impact on her family. “As home students our weeks are quite flexible anyway, but we look forward to having more time on Friday afternoons to play with my daughter’s school friends,” she explains. she.

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