A government committee will soon complete a study on the economic and social benefits of replacing Thursday with Saturday as part of the official weekend in Saudi Arabia. According to informed sources, there is general agreement not to touch Friday because of its particular religious significance to Muslims. If draft proposals are approved, the new weekend in Saudi Arabia will be Friday and Saturday. At the economic level, preliminary statistics have shown that the Kingdom loses billions of dollars in trade and other financial transactions because Thursday is a public holiday. Some have argued that with 48 Thursdays in a year, the country loses out on the potential economic benefit of a month-and-a-half annually. The extra income generated from this time can be used to support local development and raise the annual per capita income of citizens, it has been argued. The study is part of a Royal Order issued at the end of the last Hijri year 1432H. The issue was a hot topic of debate last year but the authorities realized that the matter was not properly studied. The Shoura Council has previously rejected changing the weekend. However, economic imperatives are behind the new bid to look at the issue. __
