TEHRAN - In a Parliament open session on Wednesday, Iranian lawmakers approved a bill, voting for Thursdays to become the second weekend day of the week besides Fridays.

The voting has yet to be approved by the Guardian Council to turn into a law and become legally binding.

Based on the new Parliament decision, all executive agencies of the country have to operate from Saturday to Wednesday during the week.

Military and security agencies as well as the police and some Service-providing entities such as banks, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), sports places and hospitals and other medical centers have been exempt from the new ruling.

Iran’s former government sent a bill to the Parliament calling for setting a second weekend day, raising a lot of quarrel across the country on those days, with private sector operators arguing that it would be better for the country to make Saturdays a weekend day as they said it could help maintain Iran’s trade with other world countries with Saturdays and Sundays being the weekend days in most parts of the world. 

On May 15, 2024, the lawmakers in the previous edition of the Parliament voted for Saturdays to become the country’s second weekend day. the decision was later rejected by the Guardian Council and returned to the Parliament to be revised.

EF/