It looks like we could be in for a fair few long weekends…

UAE Cabinet resolution No. 27 of 2024, published in the Official Gazette (the sanctioned dispatch of laws and decrees issued by the UAE Government) details the government’s plans for both public and private holidays in 2025.

What are the UAE public holidays for 2025?

The UAE public and private sector holidays confirmed for 2025 will include:

  • As has been the tradition in recent years, a one-day holiday on January 1 (Wednesday), 2025, celebrating the Gregorian New Year
  • A three-day holiday for Eid Al Fitr from Shawwal 1-3 (moon sighting dependent). An extra day may be added if Ramadan completes 30 days.
  • There will be one day off for Arafat Day (Dhu Al Hijjah 9) and three further days for Eid Al Adha (Dhu Al Hijjah 10 to 12).
  • One day will be given for Islamic New Year (falling on Muharram 1,  Gregorian Calendar date to be confirmed).
  • The calendar provides holidays for Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) birthday (falling on Rabi Al Awwal 12, Gregorian Calendar date to be confirmed).
  • It also appears that next year we will be getting December 2 and 3 (Tuesday and Wednesday), to honour Commemoration Day and to celebrate the 54th UAE Union Day (what was formally National Day).

What are the likely dates in the Gregorian Calendar?

If you want to get a head start on booking up those leave days, you’ll need to know the Gregorian Calendar (that’s the traditional 12 solar month format of January, February etc) dates that correspond with those of the Hijri (or Islamic) Calendar laid out in the provisions above.

Because the Islamic Calendar is based on moon phase cycles – rather than the solar orbit-based, 365.25 day year of the Gregorian calendar – the two calendars are unsynchronised and so the dates will change relative to one another with each passing year. For example Eid al Fitr started on April 21 in 2023, and then in 2024 it began April 10.

There also needs to be a final ‘by the eye’ confirmation of the particular lunar phase before certain Islamic holidays can officially commence. The Moon Sighting Committee needs to physically be able to see the shape of the moon. That means although we can offer fairly reliable predictions, we cannot 100 per cent guarantee the Gregorian holiday dates.

With all that in mind, these are the likely Gregorian Calendar dates of UAE public and private holidays in 2025:

  • Gregorian New Year’s Day, is Wednesday  January 1 2025 so that will be given as a holiday.

According to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society, ‘The crescent moon of the month of Ramadan 1446 AH will be born on Friday, February 28, 2025.’ This means that, astronomically, Ramadan 2025 in the UAE will likely start on Saturday, March 1, 2025.

The UAE Cabinet resolution No. 27 of 2024, states that “in the event the Month of Ramadan completes (30) days, day (30) of Ramadan shall be deemed as an official holiday added to the Eid-Al-Fitr holiday.”

But what about Eid dates in 2025? An article that appeared in The National includes direct correspondence with Al Jarwan, who states:

  • “Eid Al Fitr could fall between Monday, March 31, and Wednesday, April 2″.
  • The National’s feature goes on to suggest that “Arafat Day is expected to fall on Friday, May 30, which would mean Eid Al Adha will fall from Saturday, May 31, to Wednesday, June 2.”
  • That would put Islamic New Year “on Friday, June 27”. Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) birthday will then fall on Monday, September 1.

There will also be holidays for Commemoration Day and UAE Union Day (formally National Day):

  • We’ll be given two days for the 2025 UAE Union Day celebrations, falling on Tuesday, December 2 to Wednesday, December 3.

What if those holidays fall on a weekend?

The second part of resolution No. 27 of 2024 states that “with the exception of Eid holidays, any of the official holidays mentioned in article No.1 may be carried over by a Cabinet decision to the beginning or end of the week”.

There’s also a resolution inclusion that declares “local governments may approve any other official holidays not mentioned in this resolution for their government departments and institutions on special occasions or for any other reason.”

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