Monday is the first day of the working week in the United Arab Emirates, and it has been since January 2022, when the country moved from a Sunday-to-Thursday week to a Monday-to-Friday one and shifted the weekend to Saturday and Sunday. That change aligned the Emirates with international markets and with most of its trading partners, and it left the country out of step with several of its Gulf neighbours, who kept the older pattern.
The practical result is a Monday morning that behaves like a Monday morning anywhere: the heaviest traffic of the week on the roads between the emirates, full metro platforms at the business districts, and a school run that has had two days off to forget its timings. Government offices open at 7:30 am, most private employers between eight and nine, and the peak on the main routes runs for a good two hours.
Counting towards Monday is usually about a deadline rather than about dread — a submission due at the start of business, a shipment released when the week opens, or a call with a colleague who has been unreachable since Friday afternoon.
The countdown always targets the next Monday, so it resets each week rather than expiring.
Common questions
Is Monday the first working day in the UAE?
Yes, since January 2022, when the country moved from a Sunday-to-Thursday week to a Monday-to-Friday one with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
When do offices open on a Monday?
Federal government offices at 7:30 am, and most private employers between eight and nine, which is why the morning peak lasts about two hours.
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