Reduced working hours will cost Saudi Arabia $27bn each year

Saudis and expatriates have welcomed the proposed change to Saudi law that would see a 40-hour week and two days off. The current work week is 48 hours with one day off.
Hina Latif | March 09, 2016
undefinedSaudi Arabia’s Shoura Council has reiterated its previous decision in favor of a 40-hour work week and two days off. The final decision rests with the Council of Ministers.
Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has claimed that reducing the working week to 40 hours will cost the country SR100 billion and 4 billion lost hours of work and production annually.

Saleh Jamal, chairman of the MCCI, said there was an urgent need to study the implications of such a decision because it would affect 10 million working people. He said: “We are still a developing country and need more national production, not a weakening of either the private or public sector.”

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