UAE government employees will be permitted to take up to one-year leave to start their own businesses, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced on Thursday, July 7th, over Twitter. Government employees will retain their jobs during this period, and will be offered half their salary.
"Our goal is to encourage our youth to take advantage of the massive commercial opportunities offered by our national economy," HH Sheikh Mohammed said.
وأقررنا اليوم ضمن المجلس قرار إجازة التفرغ للمواطنين العاملين في الحكومة الراغبين في إدارة أعمالهم الحرة .الإجازة تبلغ عام كامل بنصف الراتب مع الحفاظ على الوظيفة ..هدفنا تشجيع شبابنا على الاستفادة من الفرص التجارية الضخمة التي يوفرها اقتصادنا الوطني .. pic.twitter.com/3UpZ8PG8yY
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) July 7, 2022
Late last year, the UAE had announced that its government employees would be shifting to a four-and-a-half day work week, with the weekend officially commencing for them on Friday afternoon and ending Sunday, in an effort to improve work-life balance and align the nation's weekend with global economies. While this change was aimed at government employees, many private institutions followed suit, moving their work week accordingly.
The UAE is known for its strong entrepreneurial drive, as evident by the numerous incentives and simplified business set-up processes deployed in recent years. National organisations like the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and Dubai SME are among the entities supporting UAE citizens in launching and growing their own businesses.
