UPDATE: Prominent figures have posted on Twitter that a move to a Saturday-Sunday weekend is being considered. Read more here.
Don’t believe the rumours—the UAE does not plan to change the Friday-Saturday weekend.
The confusion was cleared by the UAE’s state news agency WAM, responding to baseless speculation that had been spreading across the country on social media and chat apps.
“The news that has been spreading on social media that [the] government was planning to make some changes [to] the weekend is fake,” said Mohammed Jalal Al Raisi, executive director, WAM.
“No such news has been issued by the government and people should stop circulating such false information as it is misleading residents.”
The origins of the rumours is unknown. It is illegal to spread rumours and baseless information in the UAE.
In May 2006, the UAE made the decision change its weekends from Thursday-Friday to Friday-Saturday, which went into effect in September of that year. The move created overlap with international weekends, allowing businesses to thrive in the UAE while also recognizing the religious and cultural importance of Friday.
All of the Gulf countries subsequently made the change, with Saudi Arabia changing its weekends in 2013.
Use this event as a reminder not to believe rumours that circulate on social media without official government confirmation, and that sharing that sort of information in the UAE is not only harmful, but against the law.
In recent years, social media and chat apps such as Twitter and Whatsapp have had numerous run-ins with false information, with the early days of COVID an especially dangerous time for rumours and fake news. Stay vigilant and always check with official sources.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
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