Eid Al Fitr is just around the corner, so many UAE residents will be planning a short holiday – whether it is a mini-break or a staycation. Well-organised residents, however, will be preparing for a longer break, with the potential for a nine-day getaway using just two or three days of annual leave, depending on the duration of Ramadan.
As we look ahead to the next public holidays in the UAE – Arafat Day, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year and more – with a little planning, you too could maximise the breaks to make the most of the public and private sector days off. Of course, leave can be used whenever you want – or whenever you can get it approved – but here we have put together a handy guide on how to make the most of the breaks.
It is important to note, however, that some of these dates could change. For public holidays, such as Eid Al Adha, exact dates are confirmed by the UAE’s Moon-sighting committee in the days preceding the holidays. The following dates are tentative, bar New Year's Day, but have been issued by the Emirates Astronomical Society.
When are the public holidays in the UAE in 2025?
Planning leave for the rest of 2025
Early summer is expected to be busy for national holidays this year. In May, Islamic holidays Arafat Day and the multiple-day Eid Al Adha holidays are expected to fall one day apart on Friday, May 30 and then Saturday, May 31 until Monday, June 2 respectively. Eid Al Adha typically ranges from a three to a four-day holiday, often with different durations for private and public sector workers. However, if you plan to take four days of annual leave, from Tuesday, June 3 until Friday, June 6, you would have 10 days of consecutive days off with weekends.
A matter of weeks later, Friday, June 27 is Islamic New Year. If you take four days of leave, from Monday, June 23 until Thursday, June 26, you will get a nine-day break by using both weekends.
In September, the Prophet Mohammed's birthday is expected to fall on Monday, September 1. Like the Islamic New Year break two months before, if you plan to take four days of annual leave, from Tuesday, September 2 until Friday, September 5, you would get nine days off with weekends.
Towards the end of 2025, there will be national holidays to mark Commemoration Day and Eid Al Etihad. Commemoration Day is expected to be marked on Monday, December 1, with a two-day Eid Al Etihad break anticipated on Tuesday, December 2 and Wednesday, December 3. Taking leave on Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5 would give you a nine-day break with two days of annual leave.
Six blocks using 18 days of leave
January 1 to 5 (5 days off in a row for 2 annual leave days)
March 29 to April 6 (9 days, 2 annual leave days)
May 30 to June 8 (10 days, 4 annual leave days)
June 21 to 26 (9 days, 4 annual leave days)
August 30 to September 7 (9 days, 4 annul leave days)
November 29 to December 7 (9 days, 2 annual leave days)
Looking ahead to 2026
Next year, January 1, New Year's Day, will fall on a Thursday. So if you plan to take leave on the Friday, you will start the year strong with a four-day break when combining the days off with the weekend.
Next year, Ramadan is expected to begin around Monday, February 16 and end on Wednesday, March 18, which means Eid Al Fitr will fall around Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, 2026. If you plan to take the last three days of Ramadan as leave, you could get a consecutive nine days of annual leave to round off the holy month.
A version of this story was first published in December 2024
