Did You Know The Reason Behind The Change In Prayer Timings In UAE From 2026?

Recently, the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, and Zakat announced that the Friday sermons and prayers will be held at 12:45 PM from January 2nd, 2026. Yes, this would begin from the first Friday prayer for the year 2026 itself, and the decision has been made to unify prayer times to enhance organisational consistency across the nation. But have you thought about the reason why this regulation is coming into place? Well, we are here to talk about the same.

Friday Sermon Timings To Change In 2026

With there being a change in the prayer time at the mosques, the Gulf News has revealed a bunch of reasons that are speculated to be the driving force that may have led the authorities to make the decision. As it happens, these are only speculations and are not proper reasons that have been listed out.

Speculative Reasons Behind The Change In Timings

One reason could be a religious perspective, as the prayer is performed during the time of Dhuhr, which is after the sun has passed its zenith and before the Asr prayer. This is according to a majority of scholars, and if the prayer is held at 12:45 PM, it falls within the valid time, meeting the required conditions.

Another reason could be a social perspective wherein the change corresponds with broader initiatives. This could include the designation of 2026 as the ‘Year Of Family’ for the UAE, and making the adjustment is supportive of family life.

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Days Are Shorter During Winter

The other reasons could be winter time, as days are shorter during this period. And with the UAE, adopting a fixed Friday prayer time, the shift from 1:15 to 12:45 PM offers a consistent schedule, making it easier to follow and reduce confusion.

So, with the decision being made, you might want to take note of the new timing, set in order to avoid any confusion.

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