Dubai rolls out four-day summer week for government employees

Dubai has reintroduced flexible summer working arrangements for government employees, allowing eligible staff to work a four-day week or follow reduced hours until September.

The 2026 edition of the ‘Our Flexible Summer’ initiative runs from June 29 to September 10 and offers two working models. Employees in the first group work seven hours a day from Monday to Thursday and four-and-a-half hours on Friday. Those in the second group work eight hours from Monday to Thursday and take Friday off.

Government entities may adopt the schedules according to their operational requirements and the nature of employees’ roles. They can also use approved flexible-hour and remote-working arrangements while maintaining service continuity.

The measure applies to Dubai government employees and should not be interpreted as a four-day working week for the UAE private sector.

Flexibility tied to service continuity

The Dubai Government Human Resources Department developed the initiative in 2024 after gathering feedback on employees’ needs during the summer and the challenge of balancing work with family responsibilities.

Unlike a permanent reduction in the working week, the programme is a seasonal arrangement that gives government entities flexibility over how working hours are distributed. Its implementation remains dependent on whether departments can maintain operational performance and public services.

Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said employee wellbeing and quality of life should be treated as enablers of institutional performance rather than competing priorities.

The initiative also aligns with the UAE’s Year of Family 2026 by giving employees more time with their families during the summer period.

Pilot reported higher employee satisfaction

Dubai first piloted the model across 21 government entities in 2024 before extending it more widely in 2025.

According to the Government of Dubai Media Office, the pilot reported improvements in productivity and the working environment, while employee satisfaction and happiness reached as high as 98% among participating entities. Assessments conducted under the Dubai Government Excellence Programme also recorded performance improvements.

The 2025 programme divided employees into similar groups: one working eight hours from Monday to Thursday with Friday off, and another working seven-hour weekdays followed by a four-and-a-half-hour Friday.

Its return in 2026 suggests that Dubai is continuing to test flexible scheduling as part of its government workforce model, while retaining departmental discretion over eligibility and implementation.

For HR leaders, the model demonstrates that flexibility does not have to follow a single organisation-wide format. Different schedules can be designed around role requirements, service delivery and employee needs, provided employers establish clear eligibility rules and measures for performance and continuity.