Dubai billionaire Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor has called on banks to remain open during official holidays, as closures cause direct harm to customers and the commercial sector.
The call comes after UAE declared a nine-day holiday for public and private sector employees to mark Eid Al-Fitr 1445 AH-2024 from Saturday, April 6 to Sunday, April 14.
“I fully realize that official holidays are a right for all employees, whether they are in the public or private sector, but this does not necessarily mean that everyone should close their doors,” Al Habtoor wrote on X.
“There are vital sectors and places that cannot be closed even for one hour, let alone for three or four days!”
“There are many examples of this, such as airports, hospitals, and even hotels, etc. These have their own systems so that employees take turns working, and the institution or entity they work for provides its necessary services to customers around the clock,” he added.
He said that the banking sector is crucial in Dubai, a vibrant global city with a continuous commercial, tourism, and financial activity.
“This sector, with its many different banks, cannot close its doors during official holidays. Because this causes direct harm to customers and the commercial sector. This damage may come in the form of difficulty completing a financial transaction, cashing an urgent check, withdrawing a large sum of money to complete a deal, completing the sale or purchase of an important property, or other commercial transactions that never stop in Dubai thanks to the booming movement conomic activities.”
Al Habtoor further continued, “Online transactions and ATMs offer limited services, but they are often insufficient for a city with billions of financial transactions.”
He called for reconsidering bank closures during holidays and official holidays, emphasizing employee leave rights, without causing customer harm or affecting financial transactions.
