Friday is marked by the special congregational prayer known as Jummah, considered the holiest prayer of the week by Muslims.
All mosques across the United Arab emirates will follow the revised Friday Prayer schedule from 2nd January 2026, and observe a unified Friday sermon and congregational prayer time at 12:45 PM local time, as per the General Authority for Islamic Affairs. The new Friday prayer time in the UAE, effective from early 2026, the authorities are encouraging worshippers to follow the updated timing and arrive at mosques ahead of time.
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To align with the government’s workweek adjustments, Friday prayers were standardized to 1:15 PM in 2022, and the UAE shifted the public and private sector weekend to Saturday-Sunday instead of Friday-Saturday. Public sector employees also worked a half-day on Fridays, enabling them to attend the congregational prayers.
Why The Change Happened?
- The new unified timings are meant to bring National standardization and consistency so that all mosques in the UAE follow a single schedule, simplifying planning to ensure uniformity.
- A fixed prayer time helps organizations to improve management in mosques and will be effective for worshippers who travel between emirates and help them to plan their friday around a known time.
- An earlier prayer may help better integrate religious practice into everyday life, given prior adjustments to working days and the need to plan Fridays in advance.
What This Means For Residents
Moving the Friday Prayer to 12:45 PM may impact daily life, work routines, and community behaviour for many:
Easier Scheduling and Less Rushed
For many families, particularly those with children in school or busy work schedules, having an earlier and unified Friday prayer time can significantly ease the Friday rush. This change allows parents to better plan their day ahead of time, ensuring they can attend the congregational prayer without feeling rushed and manage lunch breaks and balance work or personal errands for employees more efficiently and smoothly. By creating more predictable windows, it helps worshippers navigate the day with less stress and more coordination.
Smoother Commute Between Emirates
With a single nationwide schedule, commuters no longer need to keep track of varying prayer times in different emirates, which previously could lead to confusion or missed prayers. Residents who commute daily between emirates, such as living in sharjah and working in Dubai, find the standardised New Friday prayer time significantly convenient. With the consistent schedule, worshippers can plan their Friday prayer along with the daily routines more efficiently, making it easier to attend the congregational prayer punctually without disturbing work or other commitments.
Work and School Routines
To accommodate the new 12:45 PM Friday prayer time might include some adjustments for schools and offices, such as shifting lunch breaks, rescheduling classes or meetings, or permitting early departures. So that students and employees can participate in the congregational prayer without interruptions. These adjustments may require some planning initially, but it helps integrate religious observance smoothly into the weekly routine.
Improved Mosque Participation
With the New Friday schedule set at 12:00 PM, standardised across the UAE, worshippers are given a clearly defined prayer time to participate in Friday congregational prayer. This allows them to arrive early at the mosques and plan their daily activities and work schedule in advance to avoid confusions that existed previously.
