The UAE decides to amend the upcoming Eid holiday for employees in the public and private sectors
In 2025, public holidays will grant inhabitants of the UAE up to 13 days of leave. The UAE Cabinet has passed a decision stating that the holiday commemorating the Islamic festival of Eid Al Fitr will be slightly altered the following year. This is the biggest alteration to public holidays from previous years.
UAE announces amendments to the upcoming Eid holiday
These holidays are in addition to the thirty annual breaks that employees in the UAE are entitled to take each year. They are applicable to workers in both the public and private sectors.
Because of this special arrangement between public holidays and yearly leaves, residents are able to take up to three vacations every year.
The majority of the holidays follow the Islamic Hijri calendar, whose months are determined by the times at which the moon may be seen. When the matching dates in the Gregorian calendar approach, they will be made public.
The whole list as per the resolution is as follows:
One day off for a happy new year
Residents of the UAE will get a public holiday to start the new year. On Wednesday, January 1, 2025, citizens will get the day off.
Up to four days off in March and April for Eid Al Fitr
Residents will receive up to four days off for the Islamic holiday of Eid Al Fitr, which falls after the month of Ramadan. This year's holiday is a little bit different. The resolution designates as holidays the first three days of Shawwal, the month that comes after Ramadan. The Islamic month's 30th will be a holiday as well, providing locals with four days off, if Ramadan lasts 30 days (Ramadan 30 to Shawwal 3). The first three days of Eid (Shawwal 1 to 3) are the sole days of the festival if the holy month lasts 29 days.
The Eid Al Fitr holiday of 2024 took place between Shawwal 3 and Ramadan 29. This translated into a nine-day respite for the locals this year, including the weekends.
June's four days off are Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha.
Arafah Day is a holiday in Islam and is regarded as the holiest day. This is scheduled for Dhul Hijjah 9. A three-day vacation for the Islamic holiday Eid Al Adha (Dhul Hijjah 10–12) will come after this. Four off days result from this.
June 1st, Hijri New Year: 1 day off
Residents will get the first day of Muharram off. A few weeks have passed since the Eid Al Adha holiday.
September 1st is Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) birthday.
Residents will get a holiday in honor of the event, which is anticipated to occur on Rabi Al Awwal 12.
UAE National Day: December has two days off
To commemorate the National Day, residents will have two days off in the middle of a workweek. December 2, Tuesday, and December 3, Wednesday, will be the final public holidays in 2025.
Can vacations be rescheduled?
The resolution states that all other holidays, excluding Eid, may be shifted to the start or end of the week. Only a decision made by the UAE Cabinet may accomplish this.
It is not possible to change an official holiday that falls on the weekend to a weekday. Any additional holidays that are thought necessary may be announced by the local government of each Emirate.