Qatar Working Days and Weekend Explained
Qatar's official work week runs Sunday to Thursday, and the weekend is Friday and Saturday. This applies to government, private sector, banks, and schools alike. The structure has been consistent since the early 2000s reforms that aligned Qatar with the broader GCC weekend pattern. Here is how the work week shapes payroll, project schedules, and public-holiday counts in practice.
The Sunday-to-Thursday work week
Qatar uses a five-day work week from Sunday through Thursday. Sunday is the first working day and Thursday is the last. Friday is the first day of the weekend, religiously significant as the day of Jummah congregational prayer, and Saturday is the second weekend day. This pattern is the standard across all sectors: government ministries, private companies, financial services, schools, and most retail. A small number of consumer-facing businesses (malls, restaurants, some clinics) open on weekends, but their staff still follow the Sunday-Thursday rota with weekend rosters.
Friday and Saturday weekend
The Friday-Saturday weekend is now standard across the GCC, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE having shifted to it in earlier decades and Qatar consolidating the same pattern. Bahrain follows the same model. Oman aligns its private sector with Friday-Saturday too. The harmonisation across the region means cross-border GCC business operates on a synchronised five-day schedule, which simplifies meetings, banking cut-offs, and inter-company billing cycles.
Working hours under Labour Law 14/2004
Qatar's Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004) sets a maximum of 48 hours per week with no more than 8 hours per day for adult workers. Article 73 reduces the daily limit to 6 hours during the holy month of Ramadan for Muslim employees, though most employers extend the reduction to all staff for operational simplicity. Government working hours are typically 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM in summer and slightly later in winter, totalling about 35 hours per week. Private sector hours vary by employer but cluster around 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a one-hour lunch break.
Public holidays and the working-day count
Qatar observes around 10 to 12 public holidays per year, which together with weekends bring the typical working day count to roughly 250 days in a standard year. The fixed-date holidays are Qatar National Day (18 December) and Qatar National Sport Day (the second Tuesday of February). The Islamic holidays - Eid Al Fitr (3 days), Eid Al Adha (4 days), and the Islamic New Year - move each year because they follow the Hijri lunar calendar; in 2026, Eid Al Fitr falls in late March and Eid Al Adha falls in late May or early June. Banks observe additional half-days at the start and end of these holidays, which compresses business activity.
Practical implications for HR, payroll, and project planning
For monthly payroll, the standard 30-day calendar month is used as the basic-salary divisor regardless of the actual working day count. Daily wage calculations use basic salary divided by 30. For sick leave, annual leave, and end-of-service gratuity (covered separately under Article 54), the day count matters because partial periods are paid proportionally. For project schedules, building in a buffer of 1.5x to 2x the calendar duration is conservative because Qatar's working calendar removes 104 weekend days plus around 10 holidays, plus extended Eid breaks where many businesses close for an extra day or two.
Quick reference
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Work week | Sunday to Thursday |
| Weekend | Friday and Saturday |
| Daily hours (standard) | 8 hours (Article 73) |
| Daily hours (Ramadan) | 6 hours (Article 73) |
| Weekly hours max | 48 hours |
| Annual public holidays | ~10 to 12 (mix of fixed and Hijri) |
| Typical working days/year | ~250 |
Common questions
Does Qatar work on Friday?
No. Friday is the first day of the weekend in Qatar for both public and private sectors. Friday is also the main day for Jummah congregational prayer.
What are the official Qatar weekend days?
Friday and Saturday. The work week runs Sunday to Thursday.
Are working hours different during Ramadan?
Yes. Article 73 of Qatar Labour Law 14/2004 reduces the working day to 6 hours during Ramadan for Muslim employees. Many employers extend the reduction to all staff voluntarily.
How many working days does Qatar have in a typical year?
Approximately 250 working days, after subtracting 104 weekend days (52 Fridays plus 52 Saturdays) and 10 to 12 public holidays from 365.
Do private companies follow the same weekend as government?
Almost universally yes. Private sector aligns with the Sunday-Thursday work week to enable cross-sector business. A small number of retail and hospitality operations open on Friday or Saturday.
Calculate your own working days
Use the Qatar Working Days Calculator to count working days between any two dates. It auto-excludes Friday-Saturday weekends and lets you mark public holidays.
Source
For the official text of Qatar Labour Law 14/2004 and current public-holiday announcements: Hukoomi (Government of Qatar e-services portal) and the Ministry of Labour. We update this page when published rules change. For high-stakes scheduling decisions, verify against the official source.