Dubai has officially launched a four-day work week and shorter working hours for all public sector workers from 1 July to 12 September. Part of 'Our Flexible Summer' initiative for 2025, this progressive program is designed to enhance work-life balance, boost productivity, and support family cohesion during the summer season – marking Dubai as one of the few global cities to introduce flexible working at this scale.
This follows a successful trial in 2024, across 21 government entities in Dubai, which found to increase overall employee satisfaction by 98% and improve happiness among workers, in addition to enhanced productivity and an improved work environment.
Now rolled out across the entire Dubai Government, this move aligns with the UAE's 'Year of Community', reinforcing the city's commitment to people-first policies and a sustainable, future-facing work culture.
Government employees will be divided into two groups with the following options:
- In Group 1, employees work from Monday to Thursday for 8 hours daily, with Friday off, for a total of 32 work hours.
- The 2nd Group works 7 hours per day from Monday to Thursday and 4.5 hours on Friday, for a total of 32.5 hours per week.
Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department said, "This initiative demonstrates our firm commitment to enhancing the government work environment, making it more adaptable and responsive to the needs of employees and the community. This supports Dubai's aspirations to lead in delivering flexible, sustainable, and people-centric government services."
Dubai's flexible work strategy arrives as the global conversation around shorter work weeks continues to gain traction – including in Australia, where some companies have trialled four-day weeks and hybrid arrangements to combat burnout and improve employee wellbeing.
