Government employees in Dubai will be able to choose between two compressed work schedules this summer, part of a returning Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) program intended to ease the demands of the season.
The 2026 cycle of ‘Our Flexible Summer’ takes effect on 29 June and runs through 10 September. Under one option, staff put in seven hours daily from Monday through Thursday and a shorter four-and-a-half-hour shift on Friday. The alternative compresses the week into four eight-hour days from Monday to Thursday and leaves Friday free. Individual government bodies retain the option of allowing staff to work remotely where their operations permit.
DGHR Director General Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi tied the program to broader goals around workforce performance and retention. “The ‘Our Flexible Summer’ initiative has demonstrated that employee wellbeing and quality of life do not come at the expense of performance. On the contrary, they are among the key enablers of institutional success and long-term sustainability. Through this initiative, we continue to develop more flexible and people-centric government work environments that enhance the employee experience and strengthen the future-readiness of government entities,” he said.
He framed the scheduling change as an extension of how the emirate approaches its workforce. “The initiative reflects Dubai’s government model that places people at the heart of development and recognises that investing in talent and quality of life is fundamental to enhancing productivity, innovation and sustainable performance. It also reinforces our commitment to developing more attractive, flexible and future-ready government workplaces that support Dubai’s competitiveness and further strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading destinations to live and work,” he added.
Organisers have positioned the program within the priorities of the ‘Year of Family’, citing its aim of helping employees manage personal and household obligations alongside their jobs without eroding the quality of public services.
