India, Oct. 10 -- Weekends usually mean Saturday and Sunday off, followed by the familiar Monday morning return to work. But did you know that this routine is not followed everywhere? In several countries, Sunday is a regular working day, while others observe Friday as a weekly holiday. Some even have two non-consecutive days off.

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These differences reflect religious traditions, economic priorities and government policies.

Saudi Arabia observes Friday and Saturday as its official weekend, with government offices operating from Sunday to Thursday.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the country switched from a Thursd...