Qatar’s public sector will work five-hour days in Ramadan

Government employees in Qatar, including those working for ministries and public institutions, will work a five-hour day during Ramadan, officials have announced.

QNA reported the news yesterday, adding that official hours will be from 9am to 2pm.

Ramadan is a little less than two weeks away. The exact start date has yet to be announced, but fasting is expected to begin around May 27.

The five-hour workday does not apply to private companies.

However, Qatari law states that non-government employees must also have a shortened workday of six hours (regardless of if they’re fasting).

There are exceptions to this, however, so check with your employer to find out how your schedule is affected.

Schools

In addition to shorter workdays during Ramadan, parents can also expect abbreviated school days for their children.

Last year, officials began enforcing five-hour days for government (public), private and international schools across Qatar.

This was likely in part to protect fasting children from the heat, as temps are now regularly hitting 40C and beyond.

Weather aside, people who are fasting in Qatar will have it better than those in most other parts of the world.

The average fasting day in Doha will last about 14 hours, compared to a whopping 20 hours in Russia and 18 hours in the UK.