Dubai flexible working covered more than 24,000 government employees this summer, with flexible hours, remote work and hybrid models tested across 49 entities.
DUBAI: Dubai flexible working is gaining momentum across the government sector after more than 24,000 employees participated in a major initiative testing flexible hours, remote work and hybrid working arrangements.
The Dubai Government Human Resources Department has concluded its Our Flexible Summer 2026 initiative, which involved 49 government entities and tested different ways of working while maintaining public services and operational efficiency.
The programme ran from June 29 until September 10 and was designed to help Dubai Government assess which flexible models work best across departments with different responsibilities.
Which flexible working model was most popular?
Flexible start and finish times emerged as the most widely adopted arrangement, accounting for 54% of the flexible working models used during the programme.
Remote and hybrid working followed, alongside other approved flexible arrangements.
Rather than requiring every government entity to use the same system, departments were able to adopt arrangements suited to their operational requirements. This allowed organisations to test flexibility without compromising service delivery.
The original summer programme included two principal schedules. One group could work seven hours a day from Monday to Thursday and four and a half hours on Friday.
A second group could work eight hours from Monday to Thursday and take Friday off. Government entities could also implement approved flexible hours and remote working where appropriate.
Also read: Dubai Holding awards its largest construction contract worth Dh5 billion
Did employees follow the new arrangements?
DGHR’s findings indicate high levels of compliance.
Around 95% of employees benefiting from approved flexible arrangements complied with the systems adopted by their organisations. Meanwhile, 99% of participating entities said they had informed employees about working mechanisms, communication requirements and service-delivery expectations.
Dubai flexible working is therefore being assessed not simply on whether employees prefer greater flexibility, but on whether these arrangements can maintain productivity and government services.
Also read: Malaysia haze emergency hits hazardous levels as 647 schools close
Will flexible working continue in Dubai?
The summer programme has now ended, so its specific schedules should not be interpreted as permanent working hours across Dubai Government.
However, DGHR says the results will provide a practical foundation for identifying successful approaches and shaping the next stage of flexible working across government entities.
The initiative began as a pilot involving 21 government entities in 2024. That trial recorded employee satisfaction and happiness levels of approximately 98%, helping support its expansion during 2025 and 2026.
Dubai flexible working also fits into a broader effort to create government workplaces focused on employee wellbeing, adaptability and performance.
The latest results suggest future workplace policies could increasingly combine flexibility over when employees work with flexibility over where they work, provided individual roles and public-service requirements allow it.
Impact to expect
Flexibility. The results could encourage wider adoption of flexible hours, remote work and hybrid arrangements across Dubai Government while keeping performance and service continuity central to future policies.
