Public Holiday Calendar Guide for the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates has a federal public-holiday framework covering both the public and private sectors. Its calendar combines Gregorian observances with major Islamic occasions whose Gregorian timing varies because they follow the Hijri calendar and, for Islamic holidays, official moon sighting.[1][2] The rules also distinguish between the holiday itself, the possibility of transferring certain holidays within the working week, and the employment protections that apply when private-sector employees are required to work.
How the UAE Public Holiday Framework Works
The Cabinet's public-holiday resolution establishes the principal official holidays for both the public and private sectors. The list includes the Gregorian New Year, Eid Al-Fitr, Arafah Day, Eid Al-Adha, the Hijri New Year, the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, and the country's National Day celebrations.[1][2] This common framework means that the principal federal holiday calendar is not divided into separate public-sector and private-sector lists.
Local governments nevertheless retain a limited power to declare additional official holidays for their own government departments and corporations on occasions relevant to them.[1] Such a local declaration should not be confused with an additional nationwide holiday for every employee in the country.
Islamic Holidays and Moon Sighting
Several UAE public holidays are defined by dates in the Hijri calendar rather than by fixed positions in the Gregorian calendar. The UAE Government states that Islamic holidays are determined according to moon sighting.[2] As a result, their Gregorian placement can shift from one annual calendar to the next, and travelers or employers should rely on official UAE announcements rather than treating an estimated Gregorian date as final.
Eid Al-Fitr has an additional rule tied to the length of Ramadan. The Cabinet resolution provides for an extra official holiday when Ramadan completes its full specified lunar duration.[1] This is one reason an annually generated holiday calendar should follow the official announcement rather than assume that every Eid break will have an identical practical length.
Can Public Holidays Be Moved to Create a Longer Break?
The UAE's current framework allows the Cabinet to transfer certain public holidays to the beginning or end of the working week by resolution.[1] Eid holidays are excluded from this transfer mechanism. A transferred holiday is therefore the result of an official decision, not an automatic bridge-day rule.
The legislation also expressly states that a public holiday cannot be transferred to another day merely because it coincides with another public holiday or falls on the weekend.[1] Workers and travelers should therefore avoid assuming that a weekend overlap automatically creates a substitute weekday holiday. The applicable government announcement is the authoritative source for any transfer.
Paid Holiday Rights in the Private Sector
Under the UAE Labour Law, a private-sector worker is entitled to official days off with full pay on public holidays designated by Cabinet resolution.[3] This entitlement is separate from annual leave and weekly rest.
Some businesses cannot suspend operations during every holiday. If work requirements mean that an employee must work on a public holiday, the Labour Law requires the employer to provide another day off for each holiday worked or pay the employee for that day together with an additional amount of at least half of the employee's basic wage for that day.[3] Employees whose roles require holiday coverage should therefore check how their employer is applying this statutory compensation rule rather than assuming that working on the holiday eliminates the entitlement.
Ramadan Is Important but Is Not Itself a Public Holiday
Ramadan affects working life and visitor routines across the UAE, but the month itself should not be presented as one continuous public holiday. For the private sector, normal working hours are reduced by two hours per day during Ramadan under the applicable labour framework.[4]
Daily life also changes without shutting down altogether. The UAE Government notes that supermarkets and grocery shops generally continue operating, malls may remain open late, and tourist attractions, cultural sites, restaurants, and amusement venues can continue serving visitors, although individual restaurants may adjust daytime hours.[5] Visitors should therefore distinguish between Ramadan operating patterns and the official public holidays associated with the Islamic calendar.
Practical Planning for Visitors and Businesses
The safest way to plan around UAE holidays is to separate confirmed legal holidays from predicted calendar dates. This matters particularly for Islamic observances, whose Gregorian timing depends on the Hijri calendar and official moon sighting.[2] Accommodation, inter-emirate travel, attractions, restaurants, and other services can also experience different operating patterns during major celebrations, so individual opening hours should be checked directly.
For administrative or commercial planning, allow for reduced availability when government offices or private workplaces observe an official holiday. Businesses should also watch for Cabinet announcements concerning permitted holiday transfers rather than building schedules around an assumed long weekend.[1] For private-sector employment questions, the Labour Law and Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation guidance provide the relevant rules on paid leave and compensation for holiday work.[3]
Frequently Asked Questions about Holidays in the United Arab Emirates
Do the UAE's main public holidays apply to both the public and private sectors?
Yes. The Cabinet resolution establishes the principal official holiday list for both sectors.[1] Private-sector employees are also protected by the Labour Law, which provides full-paid official days off on public holidays designated by Cabinet resolution.[3]
How are Islamic public holidays determined in the UAE?
The relevant holidays follow the Hijri calendar, and the UAE Government states that Islamic holidays are determined according to moon sighting.[2] Their Gregorian timing should therefore be checked against official announcements rather than treated as permanently fixed.
Do employees automatically get another day off when a public holiday falls on a weekend?
No. The Cabinet resolution states that a public holiday cannot be transferred to another day when it falls on the weekend or coincides with another public holiday.[1] Certain non-Eid holidays can be transferred to the beginning or end of the week, but that requires a Cabinet decision.
What happens if a private-sector employee has to work on a public holiday?
The employer must compensate the employee with another day off for each public holiday worked or pay the employee for that day together with an additional amount of at least half of the basic wage for that day.[3]
Are working hours shorter during Ramadan in the UAE private sector?
Yes. Normal private-sector working hours are reduced by two hours per day during Ramadan.[4] This Ramadan working-hours rule is distinct from the statutory public-holiday calendar.
Can an emirate declare an additional public holiday?
Local governments may determine additional official holidays for their own government departments and corporations.[1] Such a declaration does not by itself create an additional nationwide private-sector holiday.
Sources
- Cabinet Resolution Concerning the Public Holidays in the State- UAE Legislation
- Public holidays- The Official Platform of the UAE Government
- Federal Decree-Law Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationship- Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation
- Working hours and overtime- The Official Platform of the UAE Government
- Ramadan- The Official Platform of the UAE Government