Qatar announces working hours for govt, private sector during Ramadan

The Holy Month of Ramadan will be upon us very soon. Although this year's Ramadan will be quite different from the previous years', certain relaxations will take effect as always. 

To allow citizens and residents of Qatar, who celebrate this blessed month, spend more time in worship, devotion, and prayers and truly immerse in the spirit of the month, Qatar has been reducing work hours for employees.

At its regular meeting held today, Qatar's Cabinet, chaired by His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, made the decision regarding the reduced working hours during this year's Ramadan.

The Cabinet decided the official working hours during Ramadan for the year 1441 AH will be for employees and workers as follows:
A - The government sector is 4 hours, starting from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm.
B - The private sector is 6 hours, starting from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. #QNA

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) April 22, 2020

Below are the details of the decision:

Working Hours during Ramadan

1. The official working hours during the holy month of Ramadan for the year 1441 AH for employees and workers will be:

- for the government sector: four hours per day. Work hours will begin at 9 am and end at 1 pm.

- for the private sector: six hours a day. Work hours will start at 9 am and end at 3 pm. 

2. The above timings do not apply to the stores of foodstuffs, pharmacies, and restaurants working on deliveries and the contracting sector. Additionally, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, jointly with the relevant authorities, will decide which other sectors will be exempted from this decision.

3. The previous exceptions decided by the Cabinet in terms of working hours will continue.

Earlier, keeping up with a longstanding yearly Ramadan initiative, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) also announced a list of over 500 discounted consumer goods for Ramadan. The reduction in prices is aimed at making it more convenient for the citizens and residents of Qatar to meet their consumer needs during Ramadan, in which spending on food items is noticeably high.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Qatar continue to implement the highest level of monitoring, detection, and management procedures to deal with the virus, the public has been advised to follow certain measures to safeguard their health.

For any queries, or concerns related to COVID-19 in Qatar, the public can contact a 24/7 hotline set up by the Ministry. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself.

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