Exciting news for expatriates: UAE makes big Ramadan announcement

ABU DHABI: Believers of Islam religion are all set to receive the holy days of Ramadan. According to the Hijri calendar published by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf), Ramadan is slated to begin on March 1 this year.

Official committees will meet on February 28, the 29th day of Shaʽban, and decide the date of Ramadan. Now, the UAE has reduced the working hours for the relief of the expatriates on the occasion of Ramadan.

A notification has been released regarding the working hours of those working in the private sector during the holy month. Most expatriates in the UAE, including Malayalees, work in the private sector.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Indigenous Development (MOHRE) has announced that working hours will be reduced by two hours across the UAE. Officials added that private sector companies can arrange work according to their interests and the nature of work during this time.

Earlier, the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) had notified the working hours for public sector employees during Ramadan. Working hours are Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 2.30 pm. FAHR informed that the working hours will be from nine in the morning to noon on Fridays.