New Friday Prayer Time: UAE Residents Start Arriving Early To Prepare For Jan 2 Change

With the UAE set to shift Friday prayer timings to 12.45pm from January 2, many worshippers have begun adjusting their routines early by reaching mosques ahead of time. Faithful said that this practice will allow them to reshape lunch breaks and set digital reminders to avoid missing the khutbah once the new schedule begins.

Khaleej Times visited mosques in Sharjah and Dubai on Friday and spoke with residents about the impact of new timings. Many faithfuls said that they are treating the coming Fridays as a warm-up period to ensure the January 2 change feels natural rather than rushed.

Ahmed Masud, an operations supervisor working in an ecommerce firm and a resident of Sharjah said that he realised he often arrived just in time for Jumuah prayers and that is something he wants to change before the new timing takes effect.

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“When I read about building a practice on Khaleej Times a few days ago, it really made sense. And that's the reason I left the office a bit early today just to start the habit. I reached the mosque nearly 20 minutes before the khutbah,” said the Sudanese expat.

“It felt peaceful, honestly. No rushing, no stress. If I practise this for the next few Fridays, I should be comfortable once the prayer shifts to 12.45pm.”

He has already added a standing reminder on his phone for every Friday at 12.10pm.

For Riyaz ur Rahman, an Indian expat residing in Al Wuhaida neighbourhood and an executive at a plastic manufacturer, the change means reorganising his weekly schedule, especially lunch and his team meeting.

"Every Friday, I used to have lunch with my colleagues before heading to the mosque. Now, I have moved that to after prayers," said Riyaz.

“The reason we have lunch together is because we plan our week ahead. But now we will have to organise in a way where our meeting and lunch are done at the same time."

Similarly, Bilal Khan, a delivery rider operating in north Dubai, said he believes the shift is an opportunity to reset personal habits and also take his break a little earlier before resuming work.

“Usually, I try to finish one last delivery and then rush to the mosque,” said the Pakistani expat.“But now I should start planning better. I will have to stop taking orders earlier and reach the mosque before the rush.”

Bilal said arriving early will make a lot of difference.“When you come late, your mind is still thinking about traffic, deliveries and parking. And i should surely change this from next Friday."

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