Changing the Saudi weekend will reduce unemployment through new job opportunities 
A proposal to change the weekly holiday to Saturday and Sunday has again been circulating, especially among Saudis on social media platforms and news websites. The suggestion includes a half-day on Fridays which would cover government employees, the private sector, students and teachers.
In February this year, Al-Riyadh newspaper published a survey detailing people’s preferences for the weekend break. Some 48 percent of respondents favored Saturday and Sunday , while Friday and Saturday came in second at around 29 percent.
The Thursday and Friday weekend was first established in the 1970s and endured for about 45 years. In 2013 it was replaced with Friday and Saturday and now, more than a decade later, there is the possibility of changing it to Saturday and Sunday. This would align the Kingdom with much of the rest of the world.
In addition to the Ministry of Human Resources’ review of the labor system and consideration of a four-day workweek to boost investment and job creation, there are compelling examples from around the world that demonstrate the potential benefits of such a shift.
In 2001, France reduced working hours in both the public and private sectors from 39 hours to 35 hours, resulting in the creation of 350,000 jobs. Similarly, in 2015, China reduced the workweek to four and a half days in one of its major cities, leading to increased consumer spending.
Reducing the workweek will result in new hires to replace absent employees in the private sector and provide a relative solution to Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate which is currently estimated at 7.7 percent. Microsoft implemented a four-day workweek in Japan, which proved beneficial; productivity increased by 40 percent, paper usage decreased by 60 percent, and electricity consumption was reduced by 35 percent. Monthly salaries were not affected, as employees worked as if they were on the usual full five days.
In 1890, factory workers in America had an average workweek of 100 hours, meaning 16 hours a day for six consecutive days. Ford Motor Company is credited with pioneering the eight-hour workday in 1914, while doubling employee wages. Despite the reduction in working hours, Ford’s productivity and profit margins improved. The initiative was endorsed by the International Labour Organization in 1919, which set the maximum number of working hours at eight hours per day and 48 hours per week. This practice has since been adopted worldwide.
Standards have changed in the era of information and communication, and even measurement tools have evolved. Some studies indicate that, in an eight-hour workday, the average employee only accomplishes anything for about two hours and 23 minutes.
A study carried out in Britain involving 2,000 full-time employees revealed most working hours are not dedicated to completing tasks. Instead, employees engage in other activities such as visiting social media platforms, reading the news, engaging in discussions with colleagues and, most notably, spending 19 percent of their time searching for a second job.
During the time of Prophet Muhammad’s companions, leaving work on Fridays was considered undesirable because it involved imitating religions that allocated specific days for worship, which is not actively practiced within narrow limits. Work itself is a form of worship, and if we want to discuss the religious basis then the prohibition of work, based on what is mentioned in the Qur’an, starts from the second call to Friday prayer and continues until it ends, generally not exceeding 35 minutes. The Saturday and Sunday weekend is generally observed in Muslim countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Turkiye and Malaysia.
In my opinion, if the decision is implemented it will be highly successful, encompassing both economic and religious benefits. The Kingdom is on track to become a regional hub for major corporations, banks and international organizations. The recent opening of the International Monetary Fund’s regional center in Riyadh on April 24 exemplifies this trend. The Saudi economy is becoming increasingly interconnected with global economies and markets, including stock exchanges, financial markets, banks, and companies. Aligning the weekend with the rest of the world will facilitate trade transactions, boost tourism and leisure activities, and generate greater revenue for the state and the financial and business sectors.
Since Friday was moved from the second to the first day of the weekend, attendance numbers for Friday prayers have declined as people stay up late on Thursday nights. However, a new arrangement would undoubtedly increase the number of worshippers because people will be at their workplaces and schools. They will pray there or in mosques, assuming they leave those places at around 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m.
• Dr. Bader bin Saud is a columnist for Al-Riyadh newspaper, a media and knowledge management researcher, and the former deputy commander of the Special Forces for Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia.
X: @BaderbinSaud
