The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued today a royal order saying that the official working days will be from Sunday to Thursday and the weekly holiday on Friday and Saturday. The royal order said that the decision was taken based on what the requirement of the public interest , and what imposes by the economic position of the Kingdom and its international and regional obligations and its orientation towards optimal investment of its status for its interests and the prosperity of its citizens. The decision was also taken due to the crucial importance to achieve the largest homogeneity of weekly working days between agencies, governmental departments, national institutions, and their counterparts at the regional and international levels, and also due to the obvious interests and significant gains for the Kingdom, particularly in the economic aspects. It was also taken for putting an end to the negative effects and lost economic opportunities consistently associated with variation based on some working days between those agencies, institutions and national bodies and their international and regional counterparts. The King ordered the following: First: The official working days in all ministries, government bodies and institutions, financial institutions, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the Capital Market Authority, the Saudi Stock Exchange shall be from Sunday to Thursday, and the weekly holiday on Friday and Saturday. Second: Item (First ) shall be executed as follows: 1- With respect to the ministries, governmental bodies and institutions, all financial institutions, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the Capital Market Authority and the Saudi Stock Exchange, the order shall be executed starting from Saturday, 20/08/1434 corresponding to 29/6/2013. 2- With respect to universities, schools and all institutions of public education and higher education, the order shall be executed from the beginning of the next academic year (1434/1435 AH).
