Moving to a new country comes with many adjustments, and understanding public holidays is an important part of settling in. At Remitly, we’ve created a guide to public holidays in the UAE to help you learn about the key festivities and their predicted dates for 2025 and 2026, so you can make the most of your time off and immerse yourself in the country’s rich cultural traditions.
The UAE holiday calendar: a lunar calendar
With Islam as the official religion in the United Arab Emirates and around three-quarters of the population identifying as Muslim, it’s no big surprise that many public holidays are based on important dates in the Islamic Calendar. Although there are some exceptions—like Solar New Year, Commemoration Day, and National Day—most public holidays are based on the Lunar Calendar. This makes it a challenge to know with 100% certainty when holidays will fall, as they depend on the phases of the moon, meaning the exact dates of many holidays will be confirmed closer to the time they occur.
Holiday schedule for 2024 and 2025 at a glance
In 2025, public holidays are expected to fall on the following days:
Solar New Year’s Day – 1 January
Eid al-Fitr 30 – March–2 April*
Arafat (Hajj) Day – 5 June*
Eid al-Adha – 6–8 June*
Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year) – 26 June*
Mawlid (Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday) – 5 September*
Commemoration Day – 1 December
National Day – 2–3 December
The 2026 public holidays will likely be as follows:
Solar New Year’s Day – 1 January
Eid al-Fitr – 19–22 March*
Arafat (Hajj) Day – 26 May*
Eid al-Adha – 27–29 May*
Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year) – 17 June*
Mawlid (Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday) – 25 August*
Commemoration Day – 1 December
National Day – 2–3 December
*predicted date(s) to be confirmed nearer the time based on moon sightings
Calendar of UAE public holidays
Key national and religious holidays
Solar New Year’s Day
Solar New Year’s Day marks the start of the new year in the Gregorian Calendar (1 January). New Year’s Eve (31 December) in the UAE is celebrated with festivities and fireworks, with the Burj Khalifa taking centre stage during the celebrations in Dubai. In contrast, the first day of the new year is generally a more subdued affair, with most people using their free days to relax and spend time with their families.
Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr—meaning festival of the breaking of the fast—is a three-day festival marking the end of Ramadan (the holy month of fasting) and one of the most important in the Islamic Calendar. It falls on the first three days of Shawwal (the month of reward) and is celebrated with prayer, gatherings of friends and families, gift-giving, wearing new clothes, eating traditional foods, and visiting relatives’ graves.
Arafat (Hajj) Day
Arafat Day marks a day of spiritual reflection, unity, and supplication and is the height of the pilgrimage to Mecca. Those who do not make the pilgrimage take part in a day of fasting, which, although not mandatory, is recommended.
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha is the festival of sacrifice and remembers the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice his son at God’s request. Although the devil tells him to rebel, the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) obeys God and prepares to sacrifice his son. Just before he does, God steps in and spares his son, giving him a lamb to sacrifice instead. On this day, an animal (usually sheep, goat, or lamb) is sacrificed and shared equally among friends, family, and the poor. Prayer and charity play a large role in this festival.
Al-Hijra
Al-Hijra or Islamic New Year marks the migration or “Hijrah” of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his followers from Mecca to Madinah in 622 AD, where he set up the first Islamic state. It’s an opportunity for self-reflection and gratitude, with many attending prayers and making resolutions for the coming year.
Mawlid
Mawlid is the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday. It is a day when mosques in the UAE hold special prayers and sermons to honour the life and teachings of the Islamic prophet.
Commemoration Day
Commemoration Day (also known as Martyrs’ Day) commemorates those who have lost their lives in service to the country. A minute’s silence is held at 11 a.m., followed by the singing of the national anthem in places where a flag ceremony is held.
National Day
National Day or Spirit of the Union marks the day in 1971 when the seven Emirates united, resulting in a single nation. On this day, the colours of the UAE flag can be seen everywhere and people celebrate with parades, firework displays, exhibits, and shows.
Understanding Islamic holidays in UAE
The Hijri Calendar and moon sighting
In the UAE, public holidays are based on the Hijri Calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar, which is the one most widely used around the world. It is called Hijri as it began with the migration or “Hijrah” of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his followers from Mecca to Madinah in 622 AD. Where the Gregorian is a solar calendar (based on the seasons and the earth’s orbit around the sun), the Hijri Calendar is based on moon cycles. Days begin at sunset of one day and end at sunset of the next, and every year is made up of 12 lunar months, each beginning at the sighting of a new moon.
The months of the Islamic Calendar
Muharram: The Month of Allah
Safar: The Month of Distinction
Rabi Al-Awwal: The Birth of the Beloved
Rabi Al-Thani
Jumada Al-Awwal
Jumada Al-Thani
Rajab: A Sacred Month
Sha’ban: The Neglected Month
Ramadan: The Month of Fasting
Shawwal: The Month of Reward
Dhul Qadah: A Sacred Month
Dhul Hijjah: The 10 Best Days (The Month of Hajj)
The lunar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year. This means Islamic holidays move earlier and earlier by that amount each solar year.
Major Islamic observances
One major Islamic observance that technically does not have a public holiday directly attached to it is Ramadan. Although Ramadan doesn’t come with a public holiday, working hours are reduced by two hours each day. Ramadan is one of the holiest months of the year and the one during which the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Over 29 or 30 days, Muslims fast during sunlight hours to remind themselves of the suffering of the poor and to create more time to devote themselves to worshipping and becoming closer to Allah.
In the UAE, festivities start in the middle of the previous lunar month on a day called Hagg Al-Layla. On this day, children in traditional dress go around their neighbourhood singing songs and receiving sweet treats from neighbours.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims partaking in the fasting consume Suhoor before sunrise, then at sunset, they break their fast, traditionally with dates and buttermilk, which is followed by a meal or “iftar” shared with family or friends. The first iftar on the first night of Ramadan usually takes place at the house of the male head of the family (usually the grandfather).
Depending on the region, you may also hear the firing of a cannon at sunset signaling the end of fasting for the day. Restaurant opening hours are affected during this month, with most closed during fasting hours and open only for iftar.
Labour laws concerning public holidays
Working on public holidays
If you are required to work on a public holiday, policy dictates you will either be provided with a compensatory day off (day in lieu) or you will be paid at an increased rate of at least time and a half (standard wage plus 50%) for the day worked.
Labour law and holiday entitlements
According to UAE Labor Law, full-time employees who have completed at least one year of continuous service with their employer are entitled to a minimum of 30 days of paid leave per year. Full-time workers who have completed between six months and one year of service are entitled to two days of paid leave each month (the equivalent of 24 days per year).
During probationary periods, which can be no longer than six months, it’s up to the employer’s discretion whether the employee is granted any paid leave. Annual leave for part-time workers is calculated depending on the number of hours worked and should be stipulated in their employment contract.
Annual leave includes public holidays unless the work contract specifies otherwise. Employees can choose to carry over any unused annual leave into the next year or receive a cash allowance for days not used. Employers cannot continually postpone their employees’ leave—if an employee has accrued leave from the previous year, they must be allowed to use it within two years. Upon termination of employment, any accrued annual leave will be compensated based on basic salary.
Due to the unpredictability of public holidays, if you book annual leave and it ends up coinciding with a public holiday, that day will not be counted as part of your annual leave allowance. This means you will be given the opportunity to book another day off in its place.
Planning and maximising your holidays
Tips for UAE holiday planning 2025
Many people choose to make the most of their annual leave days by grouping them with public holidays. However, because many of the public holiday dates depend on moon sightings, it makes it slightly difficult to plan your days off far in advance. However, as we mentioned, if any of the days you’ve requested as annual leave end up being a public holiday, you should be able to claim another day of annual leave to use as you please.
In 2025, there are three opportunities to create a nine-day break using a combination of annual leave and public holidays.
The first way you can maximise your days off is by requesting leave on the days following Eid Al Fitr. The festival will end on either Tuesday, 1 April or Wednesda,y 2 April, so by using three or two days of annual leave, you’ll benefit from nine whole days of rest.
The same is true of Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha. Since these holidays are set to start on Thursday 5 June and end on Sunday 8 June, by taking the three days running up to this festival as annual leave, you end up with another break of nine days straight.
The final possibility is National Day, which already has a set date for 2025. Since there will be public holidays on Tuesday 2 December and on Wednesday 3 December, you can have nine holiday days in a row by requesting annual leave on the Monday, Thursday, and Friday of that same week (1, 4 and 5 December).
Other opportunities to maximise your annual leave include Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year) and Mawlid.
Al-Hijra is set to fall on Thursday 26 June or Friday 27 June so depending on the outcome of the moon sightings, by taking either the Thursday or the Friday as annual leave combined with Monday 30, you’ll be left with a 5-day long weekend.
Mawlid or the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday is predicted to take place on Friday 5 September, creating a three-day weekend that could be extended at the beginning or end by adding days of annual leave.
FAQs
What if a public holiday falls on your day off?
A recent adjustment to UAE law means that as of 1 January 2025, public holidays are now transferable if they fall on a weekend. For those who work Monday to Friday, this change means if a holiday falls on a Sunday, it can be moved to the beginning or end of the week, so you’ll still benefit from a day off.
The only exception to this rule is the Eid holidays. Another thing to note is that public holidays cannot be transferred to another day in the event they coincide with another public holiday or fall on the weekend. The resolution also now gives each Emirate the power to create its own new public holidays. This means more public holidays may be added to the calendar in the future, but it will depend on your local government.
What is the total number of public holidays in the UAE?
In 2025, the UAE will have at least 12 days of public holidays with the potential for one more if Ramadan lasts 30 days (as opposed to a potential 29).