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SDHR updates Ramadan 2025 working hours
Employee Relations#EmployeeExperience#Trending#Flexibility
The Sharjah Department of Human Resources (SDHR) has announced the official reduced working hours for Ramadan 2025, when workers will be observing fasts to relish the blessings of the holy month.
The updated work hours, i.e., 9:00 AM until 2:30 PM, apply only to government departments, authorities, and institutions. Employees will work for a total of six hours per day during Ramadan 2025.
Entities that operate on a shift system will determine the start and end of working hours—reducing two hours—according to their system and work requirements.
Sharjah already follows a four-day workweek system, wherein federal employees work from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM from Monday to Thursday and enjoy a three-day weekend with no workdays from Friday to Sunday. The reduced work hours for Ramadan 2025 ensure that employees get sufficient rest and can devote maximum time to offering prayers.
Announcing the reduced working hours for government workers, SDHR extended its highest congratulations and blessings to the leadership, government, and people of the UAE, as well as to the Islamic nation.
The UAE is implementing reduced working hours for Ramadan 2025 for both the public and private sectors. For the public sector, the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) has set official working hours from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM from Monday to Thursday and from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Friday. Additionally, 70 percent of the total staff of an entity is allowed to work from home on Fridays.
For the private sector, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has reduced official working hours by two hours and allowed flexibility in setting work schedules per the guidelines. In addition, MoHRE has recommended applying “flexible or remote work patterns within the limits of daily working hours during Ramadan,” in accordance with the nature and requirements of the work.
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Recently, Oman also reduced working hours during Ramadan 2025. Public sector employees will be allowed to work for five continuous hours from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. For Oman's private sector employees, working hours will be determined by employers, provided that employees work only six hours per day and no more than 30 hours per week.