UAE: What benifits can government employees expect from Ajman's ‘Balanced Summer' initiative
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
This initiative, announced on Monday following a meeting at the Ruler's Court, was approved under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Executive Council.
The move is part of the emirate's broader efforts in line with the 'Year of Community', focusing on enhancing personal well-being, supporting families, and ensuring the sustainability of government operations even in challenging seasonal conditions.
Key Features of the Initiative: Remote Fridays and Shorter Workweek
Starting July 1 through August 22, 2025, all government employees in Ajman will benefit from:
100% Remote Work on Fridays
Employees will work entirely from home every Friday, reducing commuting needs and promoting flexible work arrangements.
on Fridays Employees will work entirely from home every Friday, reducing commuting needs and promoting flexible work arrangements. Shortened Working Hours (Monday to Thursday)
The official workday will run from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, trimming the regular work schedule from eight hours to seven hours per day.
The official workday will run from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, trimming the regular work schedule from eight hours to seven hours per day. Uninterrupted Essential Services
The government emphasized that essential services will remain operational and unaffected, thanks to internal flexible arrangements and coordination.
This reform echoes similar steps taken in other emirates, Sharjah and Dubai, for instance, have also recently implemented summer-specific working adjustments for their government employees.
Leadership Emphasizes Employee and Family Well-Being
In his statement during the Executive Council meeting, Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi highlighted the deeper motivations behind the initiative, stating that the Ajman Government, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, is committed to fostering a flexible and supportive work environment that meets both professional and social needs of its employees.
He further stressed the initiative's alignment with the emirate's development strategy, noting that the well-being of people will always remain a top priority, as it is the most important factor in enhancing institutional performance and improving the quality of government services.
Broader Vision: Sustainability and Long-Term Impact
Beyond immediate work-life benefits, the 'Balanced Summer' policy also plays a role in achieving environmental and societal goals. The Crown Prince noted:
'Through the 'Balanced Summer' initiative, we aim to contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing daily commuting, which supports the goals of Ajman Vision 2030 in building a more balanced and sustainable society.'
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
To ensure the effectiveness of the policy, the Human Resources Department, working with the General Secretariat of the Executive Council, will:
Oversee the implementation of the initiative
Develop detailed internal frameworks for compliance and support
Submit a comprehensive impact assessment report by the end of September 2025, evaluating:
Employee satisfaction
Public service continuity
Community happiness
Institutional performance
The 'BalancedSummer' initiative is a forward-thinking move that reflects Ajman's focus on holistic development. It underscores the emirate's dedication to its people—balancing professional productivity with personal well-being, family stability, and environmental stewardship.
As government bodies adapt to these new measures over the summer, Ajman sets a strong example for flexible governance rooted in empathy, efficiency, and long-term vision.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
MHA appeals against J&K HC order to repatriate housewife deported to Pakistan after 38 years in India on long-term visa
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has appealed against an order of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court to repatriate Rakshanda Rashid, a 62-year-old housewife who was deported to Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack despite having lived in India on a long-term visa for almost four decades. The MHA filed a Letters Patent Appeal before a division bench of the High Court, against a June 6 order by Justice Rahul Bharti who had directed the Union Home Secretary to bring Ms. Rashid back to India within ten days. On Tuesday, Justice Bharti sought compliance from the MHA and gave the Ministry another ten days to file its reply on the matter. Ms. Rashid's counsel Ankur Sharma told The Hindu that the judge insisted on compliance from the MHA, noting that there is no stay on the order yet, despite an appeal having been filed. The appeal will be heard by the Chief Justice's Bench on Wednesday. Long-term visa holder After the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack which left 26 people dead, the MHA cancelled the visas of all Pakistani citizens and asked them to leave the country by April 29. The order exempted those with long-term visas as well as Pakistani women married to Indian citizens. Ms. Rashid fell in both categories, being a Pakistani citizen married to an Indian, living in Jammu for the past 38 years on a long-term visa which was renewed annually. She had applied for Indian citizenship in 1996 but the request was yet to be processed. 'Distorted facts' Ms. Rashid's daughter Fatima Sheikh said that her mother was forced out of India on April 28 by the police by 'distorting facts.' 'We are sad about the Pahalgam terror attack but on what basis was my mother expelled from India? We had applied for a long-term visa extension in January, yet the 'leave India' notice served by police said that we applied on March 8. On April 26, I got an e-mail from the [Foreigners Regional Registration Office] FRRO that the application was being processed, yet she is deported on April 28. On May 9, I again got an e-mail that the application had gone to higher authorities for approval,' Ms. Sheikh said. 'Rushed deportation' On April 28, police officials showed up outside their house at 7 a.m. and took Ms. Rashid to the Attari border checkpoint in Punjab from where she was deported, her daughter said. 'They did not let us even speak to our lawyers. They were in such a hurry to deport her. All her life she has lived in Jammu. How will she survive in Pakistan? It is so expensive there, she has no one there,' Ms. Sheikh said, adding that her mother has no relatives in Pakistan. For the past three months, Ms. Rashid has been living alone in a small hotel and has no money on her, she said. As reported by The Hindu on June 23, Justice Bharti had ordered the Union Home Secretary to 'retrieve' the petitioner from Pakistan 'given the exceptional nature of facts and circumstances of the case'. He added: 'Human rights are the most sacrosanct component of a human life and, therefore, there are occasions when a constitutional court is supposed to come up with SOS-like indulgence, notwithstanding the merits and demerits of a case.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
HL: ‘Don't fall into BJP's trap': SP starts Pasmanda outreach for 2027 polls
AFTER THE BJP, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is reaching out to Pasmanda Muslims and will launch a year-long drive starting July for the community that will involve a range of programmes and events. Comprising the socially, educationally and economically backward groups among the Muslims, the Pasmandas constitute a large majority of the community. An SP leader estimated that around 85% of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, across 48 castes, are from Pasmanda groups. The remaining 15% are upper-caste Muslims from the Sheikh, Syed, Mughal and Pathan communities. The SP counts Muslims as among its big vote banks in UP. The design and the structure of SP's drive was formulated at a meeting of party president Akhilesh Yadav and Pasmanda Samaj leaders earlier this month, a day after the Samjawadi Alpsankhyak Sabha, the minority wing of the party, held a meeting. As part of the drive, SP sources said, the party will first hold meetings with members of the Pasmanda Muslim community in all 403 Assembly constituencies of the state. This will be followed by district-level conventions, culminating in a state-level public meeting in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. SP national secretary Anis Mansoori, who is also the president of the Pasmanda Muslim Samaj, an umbrella organisation of the community, told The Indian Express that the SP would truly 'empower' the group. 'In these meetings and conventions (as part of the drive), we will convince the Pasmanda community that they should not fall into the BJP's trap. The BJP shows concern for the community only for votes… It (the BJP) does nothing for their empowerment. The Pasmanda community will be part of the SP's organisation and government when the party comes to power in the state,' Mansoori said. Mansoori added that the BJP's Pasmanda outreach efforts were meant to divide the Muslim vote, hence hurting the SP. 'Our apprehension is that if Pasmandas vote for the BJP, it will cut off a major chunk of Muslims. Muslims and Yadavs are the SP's core voters… Akhilesh ji has assured us that all the problems of the Pasmanda community will be addressed if the SP comes to power,' he said. The SP is framing the outreach as part of its PDA (Pichchda, Dalit and alpsankhyak) formula. A press release after the meeting with Pasmanda leaders said the SP would give the community 'political honour'. The BJP has been trying to make inroads into the Pasmanda community since 2022. At his speech at a BJP national executive conclave held in Hyderabad in July that year, Modi asked the party to reach out to 'deprived and downtrodden' sections in all communities. According to UP BJP insiders, its calculations showed that an estimated 8% of voters from the community favoured the party in the Assembly polls that year, even though the SP had a strong alliance with other OBC-based regional parties. Since then, Pasmanda Muslims have been the subject of several BJP outreach initiatives, from sammelans and sneh yatras to meetings with intellectuals. Reacting on the SP's campaign, UP BJP's minority wing state president Kunvar Basit Ali said: 'The SP is afraid of the BJP's efforts to get Muslim votes. Muslims are supporting the BJP now for their development and growth.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Dubai launches citywide 4 day work week for government employees: Will the private sector follow?
Dubai government employees will enjoy a four-day work week starting July 1, 2025. The 'Our Flexible Summer' initiative aims to boost work-life balance. This follows a successful pilot program in 2024. Employees will be divided into two groups with slightly different schedules. Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi says this reflects Dubai's commitment to employee well-being. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What is Dubai's 'Our Flexible Summer' initiative? Who is eligible for the 4 day week in Dubai? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is Dubai implementing a 4-day work week? What about private sector workers? This Islamic New Year brings a summer gift to government employees in Dubai , a rare perk that a tiny percentage of people enjoy worldwide. Starting July 1, 2025, government employees in Dubai will shift to a four-day work week or reduced summer hours under the 'Our Flexible Summer' initiative. The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) launches this to improve work-life balance and productivity, and it will run until September 12, flexible work hour announcement is followed by a successful pilot program launched in 2024. This announcement comes amid a global wave of interest in four-day work and companies in countries like Japan, the UK, Iceland, Australia, and Canada have already implemented or piloted reduced working hours, with many reporting improvements in employee retention, mental health, and overall initiative, introduced by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR), is to create a better work environment for public sector employees during the summer the reduced working hours, employee well-being increases, productivity increases, and workers can spend more time with their families, especially during the school year's pilot involved 21 government entities and reportedly led to higher levels of employee satisfaction, happiness, and flexible work policy applies to all employees of Dubai government entities. However, the work schedules will vary slightly, depending on which group an employee is placed employees will be divided into two groups with the following options:In Group 1, employees work from Monday to Thursday for 8 hours daily, with Friday off, for a total of 32 work 2nd Group works 7 hours per day from Monday to Thursday and 4.5 hours on Friday, for a total of 32.5 hours per to Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director-General of DGHR, the move reflects Dubai's ongoing commitment to creating a people-centric government that balances institutional efficiency with employee well-being.'This initiative demonstrates our firm commitment to enhancing the government work environment, making it more adaptable and responsive to the needs of employees and the community,' he initiative also aligns with the UAE's 'Year of Community', which aims to reinforce family ties and overall social the 4-day work week and reduced hours apply only to public sector employees. However, there is growing support for expanding flexible work policies to the private a white paper released in January and a government survey, Dubai officials pointed out that broader adoption of remote work and flexible hours could help ease traffic congestion and improve there are no signs of the government officially introducing an immediate remote working policy or reduced working hours, this suggests the government's preference for such a policy if it is implemented in the study also found that a hybrid model, which combines a centralized workplace with a work-from-home option, enhances productivity, inclusivity, and employee it revealed that companies adopting a remote work policy can attract a broader pool of candidates, including those with at-home caregiving responsibilities or individuals limited by their proximity to an office.
