THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: UTOPIA IN THE DESERT (Part-1)

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Often bridging the gap between tradition and contemporary is a tall task. Perhaps it is the nature of the past to linger on as long as it can. Or maybe the impending arrival of the future is impossible to control. The United Arab Emirates is a nation of striking contrasts. And slowly but steadily, it has been working on embracing the modern world, albeit at its own pace and terms & conditions.

It was announced in December 2021, that from January 2022, Friday will no longer be the official weekend. Though to the rest of the world it may seem silly and even frivolous, it is a huge step forward towards the rest of the world, from the UAE. To understand it, we must delve a bit deeper into the past to see it more clearly. And it is wise to not just see how much further one has to go, but also look at how far we have come.

The middle east is a very different place in many ways and yet the people are the same as the rest of the world. Especially in the UAE, which is one of the most cosmopolitan countries, and yet where tradition and conservatism guide many of the social reforms. The importance of religion and faith along with family values have slowly been opened to interpretation, depending on your own.

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The announcement of the new weekdays and weekends brought about a lot of worries from many people. Not only expats but locals who are 100 percent Muslims were concerned about the Friday prayer timings. In Islam, it is a very important part of faith. Again here the leadership has left the government and private offices free to interpret the rules as they deem fit. For example, some offices close early on Friday to offer ample time for Muslims to go to prayer. Some offices provide a generous 2-3 hour break. The seven trucial states have implemented the new law as per their convenience. While most emirates including the capital Abu Dhabi and the financial capital of Dubai have chosen to have a working Friday with Saturday & Sunday off, Sharjah has announced a full 3 day weekend including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for all government employees.

Many of my Emarati friends were more worried about its implications on family gatherings. To help you, our reader, understand this better, allow me to give you an example. One of my friends, let’s call her K, is a housewife with three kids. Now before January 2022, her extended family routine was something like this. Mondays and Thursdays to her mother’s house, kids in tow. Sometimes along with the husband. Else the husband has this time to himself. Friday lunches at her mother-in-law’s. And on Saturdays I go out with my husband and kids, to the mall and eat out. 

Now with the change in the weekends, it is a different ball game. Friday mornings still tend to be lazier than the others while Sunday mornings are not that quiet. Family gatherings and going out days are still being decided on. While schools are still trying to manage the reduced school timings on Friday. That way, the children can go for their Friday prayers. School timings on Fridays are reduced while on other days they have been increased by an hour or so. 

One of the funniest things that I have learned is that in Sharjah, with the three-day weekend, suddenly it has been receiving the maximum job applications from aspirants!!! Another brownie point is that of extended sale days. Instead of just Friday and Saturday, now most shopping malls and stores offer discounts Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Almost all businesses are open throughout the weekend, as compared to earlier when Friday mornings you could find some malls and stores closed. Till the afternoon prayers were done. So as of now, it’s all fine and dandy. We are having our cake and eating it too.

Written by: Shashwati M.

Photos uploaded via pixabay and unsplash by: Shashwati Mishra

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