[Editor’s Note: This article is part of Khaleej Times’ Schools and Parents, a dedicated section designed to support families in the UAE as they explore educational choices. The section offers explainers, guidance from education leaders, expert advice and insights from parents to help readers make informed decisions about schools, curricula and communities.]
For many families across the UAE, Fridays have long been a delicate balancing act — work calls squeezed between school pick-ups, mosque timings, younger siblings at home and the hope of an early start to the weekend.
Now, even a 30-minute change makes parents rethink existing routines.
From January 9, 2026, all private schools and early childhood centres operating within private schools in Dubai will end the school day no later than 11.30am on Fridays, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) earlier announced. Individual schools have also started sending out circulars now, informing parents about the same.
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The decision follows the nationwide adjustment of the Friday prayer time to 12.45pm, effective from today, as previously confirmed by the General Authority for Islamic Affairs, Awqaf and Zakat.
While the move is also designed to align school schedules with prayer timings, parents say the practical impact ripples beyond the classroom — into traffic-clogged roads, workplace expectations and childcare arrangements before lunchtime.
For some families, the pressure point is the narrow window between school dismissal and mosque prayers.
Between school gates and mosque doors
Ami Rasheed, a mother of two, worries that the overlap of school buses and prayer traffic could turn Fridays into an uphill struggle.
“My 10-year-old son goes to the mosque for prayers, and this new schedule will be challenging. He will return from school at 12.30pm and has just a 15-minute window to get to the mosque for the 12.45pm prayer.
I’m worried that with school buses on the roads at the same time as prayer traffic, everything will overlap, leading to added congestion on the streets.”
Similar concerns are echoed by Maha Abdelrahman, an Egyptian expatriate living in The Greens, who says Friday pick-ups were already difficult even before the change. She fears the earlier dismissal could intensify traffic jams around schools and put added pressure on older children who need to get home and then head to the mosque.
“Earlier, when school ended at 12pm, Friday pick-ups were already difficult to manage. Now, with dismissal moved to 11.30am, I worry traffic may be a mess unless efficiently managed. A lot of people also do double parking around school and mosque areas and the regular road then becomes narrower.
I’m concerned about how my 15-year-old will get home on time, change, and then make it to the mosque.
With the UAE workday still running until the afternoon, we are caught between school schedules and employer expectations. It feels like another logistical puzzle. But hopefully it will ease out.”
When flexibility makes all the difference
Not all parents, however, see the shift as disruptive. For those with flexible work arrangements or support at home, the earlier finish is viewed as manageable — even beneficial.
Shun Khin Shun Lae Tha, a Myanmar expat, said the adjustment requires only minor tweaks to her family’s routine.
“The earlier 11.30 dismissal does not impact me as my work is flexible so I am able to adjust. Only minimum changes are required with an earlier pick up for my daughter.
So, overall routine remains stable. I am comfortable with the change if my daughter gets the time to rest which supports her wellbeing and focus.
I prefer face-to-face learning over remote learning so I have no issues.”
A similar sentiment is shared by Filipino expatriate Ben Lebig, for whom the earlier arrival home fits neatly into family life, with Fridays already reserved for spending time together after work.
“The change in timing on Friday is a welcome change for us. Having my 16-year-old daughter arrive home from school earlier does not affect us negatively and there is no need for us to change our existing routine, in fact it is good as she has more time to study and finish all her school related tasks.
“We usually have our family time start Fridays after work.
If they ended up having remote classes on Friday, that would even be better for us as my daughter would then get more time for self-study. We appreciate all the UAE Government is doing to ensure school timings are facilitating the needs of families here in the UAE.”
Imminent conversations with employer
Others, particularly dual-income households, say the shortened school day raises bigger questions about whether Fridays are still meaningful school days at all.
American expatriate Natalia Miranda admits she reacted with anxiety when she heard about the revised schedule.
“It feels crazy to have school for just three to four hours. At that point, I almost feel they should just give the children the day off because students can’t do much anyway.
“With both of us working full time, Fridays already require juggling — either working from home or trying to come back early — but realistically, no workplace lets you leave that early.
“Now it’s about organising playdates in between and then getting my son to his activities in the evening. There’s an even longer stretch of time to fill, and I can’t exactly ask for a seven-hour playdate.”
While she appreciates the intent behind aligning school schedules on Fridays, Miranda believes the execution could have been smoother. She also dismissed online learning as a realistic alternative for younger children.
“Fridays are usually when schools hold assemblies and make important announcements, or even have sports days and whole-school activities. I don’t think online works well for elementary school children.
I’ll be having that conversation with my office soon. They know the rules are changing, but not everyone can take Fridays off. We’ll have to figure it out.”
For some long-time residents, however, the change feels less demanding.
Mosques across Dubai reduce pressure to rush
Dubai resident of 10 years, Nawar Mahmoud, a Syrian expatriate and mother of two, points out that her children were already dismissed at 11.45am — making the new timing just 15 minutes earlier.
“They go motivated on Fridays because they know it’s a shorter day and it’s mostly for fun.
Either my husband, the nanny or I can do the pick-up, and we live close enough to walk to the school.
Face-to-face learning and social interaction are far better than children staring at a screen.”
While Mahmoud acknowledges that traffic remains a Friday concern, she believes access to mosques across Dubai reduces pressure on older students rushing to prayers.
“There are so many mosques in one area in Dubai, so reaching one by 12.45pm should not be an issue.”
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