With the UAE set to shift Friday prayer timings to 12:45 PM from January 2, many worshippers have started adjusting their routines early by arriving at mosques ahead of time. Faithful attendees mentioned 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 the new timings. Many faithfuls are treating the upcoming Fridays as a warm-up period to ensure that the January 2 change feels natural rather than rushed.
‘Reached 20 minutes earlier’
Ahmed Masud, an operations supervisor working in an ecommerce firm and a resident of Sharjah, said he realized he often arrived just in time for Jumuah prayers and wants to change this before the new timing takes effect.
“Reading about building a practice in Khaleej Times a few days ago really made sense to me. That’s why 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 practice this for the next few Fridays, I should be comfortable once the prayer shifts to 12:45 PM.”
He has already added a standing reminder on his phone for every Friday at 12:10 PM.
Friday lunch to after prayer
For Riyaz ur Rahman, an Indian expat residing in the Al Wuhaida neighborhood and an executive at a plastic manufacturer, the change means reorganizing 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 to plan our week ahead. But now we will have to organize it in a way where our meeting and lunch are done at the same time.”
Similarly, Bilal Khan, a delivery rider operating in north Dubai, 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.”
