What’s On has news of holidays in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE, including Eid dates and National Day.

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What’s On has updated its full list of expected public holidays in the UAE for 2015.

An announcement earlier this year by the UAE Government explained the process of formatting Islamic events. ‘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.’

Therefore, while no official confirmation can be given, astronomers at the Sharjah Planetarium have forecasted the following Islamic occasions for what’s left of 2015:

Hajj season will take place on or around September 14.
Arafat Day will take place on or around September 22.
Eid Al Adha will take place on or around September 23 (this public holiday will last for three days).
Hijri New Year’s Day will take place on or around October 15.
UAE National Day will be on December 2.

Earlier this month, Eid Al Fitr fell on Friday July 17, which means that private sector employees missed out on a longer weekend. The paid holiday fell on Friday July 17 and Saturday July 18 – a standard weekend in the UAE.

But fret not if you’re still hoping for a long weekend break, as there is a chance that private sector workers could get a full five-day weekend off for Eid Al Adha.

The UAE private sector typically gets time off for Eid Al Adha from the 9th day of Al Dhu Al Hijjah (Arafat Day) to the 11th day of Dhu Al Hijjah. According to astronomical forecasts, these are likely to fall on Tuesday September 22 to Thursday September 24, which, coupled with the standard two-day weekend, would give private sector employees five days in a row of paid leave.

Hajj, Arafat Day, Eid Al Adha and Hijri New Year holiday dates are officially determined by the sightings of the moon (excluding National Day).