Call to Change Weekend to Friday-Saturday
- Lifestyles
- Special Interest
Author: Aramco ExPats
Released 26 September 2006
In an attempt to promote the country’s international business relations, Saudi businessmen, academics and executives have called upon authorities to consider changing weekly holidays to Friday and Saturday.
Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have already changed their weekly holidays to Friday and Saturday.
Dr. Abdul Ilah Saati of King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah supported the idea and said it was essential to protect the Kingdom’s economic and commercial interests. “At present we are cut off from the rest of the world for four days — Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If we change holidays to Friday and Saturday we will get an extra day to make business contacts with companies in other countries.”
He emphasized the significance of the new proposal in the age of globalization. “I don’t see any obstacle. The change will benefit our industries and businesses as well as educational and medical institutions,” he explained.
Many citizens and expatriates have already termed it a “positive move.”