People from across the spectrum including those working in government institutions, diplomatic missions, banks and business establishments have welcomed the Saudi government’s decision to switch the official weekend to Friday and Saturday instead of Thursday and Friday, stating that it was done in public interest.
A royal decree was issued Sunday by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah changing the weekend to meet the Kingdom’s regional and international commitments. The switchover was necessitated because Saudi Arabia and Oman were the only member of the GCC to have a Thursday-Friday weekend.
Hailing the decision, Khayyam Akbar, deputy head of mission at the Pakistan Embassy, said: “We welcome the decision and hope it will go a long way in furthering development and prosperity of the Kingdom besides ensuring smooth functioning of institutions.”
The Pakistan Embassy, he said, will also follow the new changes as per the royal decree.
Speaking to Arab News, Sibi George, deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy, said: “We will also follow the new change in the weekend schedule.” He said the royal decree issued yesterday was an internal decision of the Saudi government.
The Swedish Embassy in Riyadh also congratulated the government and the people for this positive change. “We will also implement the weekend change as per the new decision,” a Swedish Embassy official said.
A spokesperson for the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh said they would follow the new decree and will do the needful to change the weekend schedule. Welcoming the decision, the officials said it would definitely have a positive impact on the economy, business and the education system in the Kingdom.
A huge gathering of people at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where workers from India, Bangladesh, Philippine and Egypt have been lining up for the five-day job fair after rectifying their job status to avail themselves of new employment opportunities, also welcomed the decision saying the new change has more of a weekend feeling since all countries have weekend starting on Friday and Saturday.
Hassan Sahi, a well-known businessman in the Central Province, said: “The change of weekend is a very positive signal for businesses and banks that were already functioning on an internal Saturday-Sunday weekend to keep in sync with their international partners, especially small businesses like mine that deal in import and export.”
Saying that the change will definitely benefit the Kingdom’s people financially, he said: “It will also bring the Kingdom one step closer to other Gulf countries that are already operating on a Friday-Saturday weekend.”
Samiha Saeed, a personal secretary in a government financial institution, told Arab News: “Though the decision is sudden, it is indeed exciting news.”
Diplomatic missions switch to Friday-Saturday weekend
