Dubai Urges Remote Work, Flexible Hours to Ease Traffic

Dubai is making strides to ease its traffic congestion by encouraging more flexible work hours and remote work options across the emirate. Authorities are calling on both public and private sectors to adopt these measures, hoping they’ll reduce peak-time traffic and make commutes smoother for everyone. Keep reading to find out more important details.

Also read: New RTA Road Project Cuts Travel Time Down To 5 Minutes In 4 Key Dubai Areas

How Flexible Hours & Remote Work Help

Based on two recent studies, Dubai officials highlight that introducing a flexible start time within a two-hour window and allowing remote work for four to five days a month could reduce peak morning traffic across the city by up to 30%. The studies show that if 20% of employees work remotely, traffic on key routes like Sheikh Zayed Road could decrease by 9.8%, and on Al Khail Road by 8.4%. Even flexible hours alone could cut traffic by 5.7% on Sheikh Zayed Road and 5% on Al Khail Road.

Strong Support From Dubai’s Leadership

These work from home initiatives are part of a traffic flow plan approved by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. Many Dubai offices had already set up the digital infrastructure for remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they continued to offer this flexibility during recent emergencies, like the heavy rains and flooding in April.

Also read: Beat Dubai To Sharjah Traffic In Just 12 Minutes Using This New Bridge

Employee Satisfaction & Productivity

A survey conducted revealed high satisfaction with flexible policies. Around 80% of government employees can work remotely two days a week, and 87% feel flexible hours meet their personal needs. In fact, 89.4% believe flexible hours make them more productive, while 80.4% say their productivity from home matches that in the office. As well as, 90% of employees report no issues with staying connected to their teams.

Does your company already have a WFH policy in place, and how often is it actually implemented?

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