BAHRAIN TO ADOPT FRIDAY-SATURDAY WEEKEND

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001392

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EB, NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2016
TAGS: ECON ETRD BA POL REGION ECTRD ROW
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN TO ADOPT FRIDAY-SATURDAY WEEKEND

REF: ABU DHABI 2045

Classified By: CDA Susan L. Ziadeh, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) The cabinet July 30 approved a measure to abandon
Bahrain's official Thursday-Friday weekend in favor of a
Friday-Saturday weekend beginning September 1. The
endorsement came in response to demands raised by the
Parliament and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(BCCI) to boost effective working hours by 20 percent and
unify government weekend days with the private-sector, which
works Sunday through Thursday.


2. (U) A drive to change the official weekend had been
considered since 1990, when the GOB introduced the
Thursday-Friday weekend. Until then, Friday had been the
only officially-recognized weekend day, though much of the
private sector (financial institutions in particular) also
closed on Saturdays. In October 2005, when a
cabinet-sponsored survey of some 36 thousand government
employees indicated by a narrow margin that most GOB workers
favored Thursday-Friday, the measure to change the weekend
was shelved. However, the cabinet's decision to pass the
measure this year has met broad support for unifying the
country's public and private sector weekends and for bringing
Bahrain more in line with much of the rest of the world.


3. (U) In a press statement, the Economic Development Board
(EDB) affirmed that the move will broaden Bahrain's relations
with the rest of the world and would help attract foreign
investment. EDB Chief Executive Shaikh Mohammed Bin Isa Al
Khalifa added that the change would decrease losses incurred
by the national economy due to the gap between Bahrain's
weekends and those of many other countries. "Currently
companies tend to lose four days out of the full week, which
causes financial losses and (reduced) production rates."


4. (U) Calls to change the weekend had been resisted by local
conservatives who feared the move would erode devotion to
religious activities. However, Embassy contacts believe
these concerns are unfounded and note that Friday will remain
a weekend day, so there is no conflict with Friday prayers
and sermons. Local businessmen have dismissed concerns that
tourism from neighboring Saudi Arabia, which retains a
Thursday-Friday weekend, would be affected.


5. (C) Comment: This is a long-awaited and prudent change.
The August 1 implementation of the FTA is set to facilitate
an increase in Bahrain's international trade. The country is
also pursuing Free Trade Agreements with other countries,
including India and the EU, which would see trade benefited
by greater weekend synchronization. For a cabinet that was
looking for cover against conservative detractors, the May 17
announcement (reftel) by the UAE that it will adjust its
weekend to Friday-Saturday, in addition to fellow GCC member
Qatar, was a welcome precedent. End Comment.



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ZIADEH