Massive changes in how Fridays in the UAE are going to look. The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat have announced a change in the Friday prayer timings and sermon across the UAE.
The same will be effective in the new year, starting from Friday, January 2, 2026.
According to Emarat Al Youm, the prayers will now be held at 12.45 pm.
The authority has urged worshippers to adhere to the new schedule and to arrive early to perform the prayer on time.
The decision standardises Friday prayer timing nationwide in an effort to support better organisation and ensure consistency for all worshippers.
What were the Friday prayer timings in the UAE before?
As of now, the Friday prayers in the UAE are held at 1:15 pm year-round, a time set to coincide with the new half-day work schedule for Fridays.
This time is fixed and does not change with the seasons, unlike traditional prayer times that are based on the sun’s position.
This usually led to shops closing up and observing a break accordingly, with all services resuming generally post 2:30 pm on Fridays.
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