What’s On has details on public holidays in Dubai and the UAE for 2014, including Ramadan dates, Eid dates and the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday.

Hard-at-workers have been given a boost after the Federal Authority for Human Resources confirmed a three-day weekend for the public and private sector from Friday May 23 to Sunday May 25 to mark Isra wal Miraj.

It is the first public holiday in the UAE for more than four months, and falls on the weekend of Justin Timberlake in Abu Dhabi.

The celebration of Israa and Miraj night is considered one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar, marking the occasion when five daily prayers were commanded for all Muslims by God during the Prophet’s (PBUH) ascent to heaven.

The holiday has been moved from the original date of Monday May 26 as, under UAE law, holidays which fall during the week can be moved to a Sunday or Thursday.

In an announcement earlier this year, it was confirmed that Ramadan was expected to begin on June 28, 2014, though as with many of the dates official confirmation won’t come until nearer the time when the moon is sighted over the UAE.

A statement on abudhabi.ae in January said: “The official reference to determine Islamic occasions, such as the beginning of Ramadan or Haj, is the Hijri Calendar. It is based on the phases of the moon. Hence, the exact dates of Islamic events vary from one Gregorian year to another as they depend on the local sightings of the moon.”

Other dates revealed include Eid Al Fitr on July 28, Arafat Day on October 3, Eid Al Adha on October 4 and Hijri New Year on October 25. National Day will also be celebrated on December 2 and 3.