- What is the time difference between London and Dubai?
- Dubai (GST, UTC+4) is 4 hours ahead of London during GMT and 3 hours ahead during BST. The small gap makes scheduling straightforward during shared working days.
- What days of the week do businesses in the Middle East operate?
- Most Gulf countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman) follow a Sunday-to-Thursday work week, with Friday and Saturday as the weekend. This creates a three-day overlap (Sunday-Thursday intersect Monday-Friday) with European Mon-Fri schedules. Some companies have shifted to a Monday-Friday or Monday-Saturday model.
- How does Ramadan affect meeting schedules with Middle Eastern teams?
- During Ramadan, many Middle Eastern businesses shorten working hours by 2 hours, often ending the day at 2 PM or 3 PM local time. Meetings should be scheduled for mid-morning Gulf time. Exact Ramadan dates shift by about 11 days each year.