A local take on a Western theme
The Dubai Mall has a T.G.I. Friday’s chain restaurant establishment, but the name does not match the local customary weekend. The Islamic holy day is Friday (whereas the Jewish holy day is Saturday, and the Christian holy day is Sunday). Dubai recently set the weekend as a universal Friday and Saturday to bring the country more in-line with global standards; some Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, have the weekend on Thursday and Friday, reportedly because they refuse to have the weekend include the Jewish holy day.
A local restaurant in the Deira old town district of Dubai has a play on the T.G.I. Friday restaurant theme.
See CRISIS IN DUBAI: A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE
