Available online at https://e-journal.unair.ac.id/TIJAB TIJAB (The International Journal of Applied Business) e-ISSN: 2599-0705 Vol. 5 No. 1, April 2021, pp. 01-17 Working Remotely During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Efforts of the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates Rawadha AlMarar a , Amani Alkhodari a 1 , Dina Y. Atia a Satti Mohamed a Raed M Shubair a a Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates APA Citation: AlMarar, R., Alkhodari, A., Atia, D.Y., Mohamed, S. & Shubair, R. M. (2021). Working remotely during the covid-19 pandemic: efforts of the ministry of education in the United Arab Emirates. TIJAB (The International Journal of Applied Business), 5(1), 01-17. Submission Date: 01/11/2020 Acceptance Date: 21/03/2021 Abstract Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, work is no longer being conducted in the traditional manner. This has created pressure on businesses to shift into a mode of remote working in order to avoid severe disruption. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has attempted to face challenges accompanying this crisis and explore solutions with the wise vision and constant support of its leadership. This paper examines the transition of working procedures at one of the most influential entities in the UAE; the Ministry of Education (MOE). The purpose here is to shed light on how obstacles have been turned into opportunities in order for MOE employees to continue working remotely during such critical conditions. This is illustrated by the efforts of ministry departments that were interviewed for their feedback during the study. This paper provides insights into the activation of remote work in response to sudden incidents by highlighting measurements and factors that contribute to entities’ readiness for such a transition. This study analyzes the value and originality of MOE remote working practices and their impact on the wider community. Keywords: working remotely; telework; remote work; virtual environments; COVID19 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-SA license. 1. Introduction In a world where Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) advance constantly in order to address the needs of an increasingly fast-paced life, it is no surprise that concepts of where and how work is performed are altering accordingly. An increasing reliance on information technology infrastructures has rendered jobs more dynamic and has shifted businesses mindsets into alternative workplace environments, namely working remotely. Various definitions have been adopted to describe 1 Corresponding author. E-mail address: amani.alkhodari@moe.gov.ae