The UAE residents will be able to have up to 13 days of vacation and holiday in the year 2025. A recent decree from the UAE Cabinet means that the holiday to celebrate the Islamic festival Eid Al Fitr will be slightly different next year. This is the most significant shift in public holidays compared to the last few years.
These holidays are for all organizations whether private or government organizations in UAE and apart from these holidays, an employee is allowed to take 30 leaves in a year. Due to the possibility of accumulating annual leaves and public holidays, residents are allowed to undergo as many as three vacations per year. Many of the holiday dates are according to the Islamic Hijri calendar where the months are determined depending on the phase of the moon. The actual dates based on the Gregorian calendar will be released in advance to the said events.
Here is the full list according to the resolution:
New Year: Residents will not be working on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
Eid Al Fitr: Islamic holiday Eid Al Fitr, which is observed after fasting in the Islamic month of Ramadan, shall be graced by residents. The resolution also outlines that the first three days of Shawwal – the month that comes after Ramadan is a holiday. If Ramadan is 30 days, Ramadan 30 and Shawwal 1 would also be holidays as they get four days in total (Ramadan 29-30 and Shawwal 1-2). If the holy month has 29 days, then it is only Shawwal 1 to Shawwal 3, which is the first three days of Eid al-Fitr. By the year 2024, the Eid Al Fitr holiday was from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3. This means that the break given to residents this year has been for nine days considering the weekends as well.
Arafah Day, Eid Al Adha: The most significant day in the Islamic faith, Arafah Day, will also be an occasion when no work will be done. This will be on Dhul Hijjah 9th. This is followed by holidays on Dhul Hijjah 10-12 in observance of the Islamic festival Eid Al Adha. This equates to four off days.
Hijri New Year: Muharram 1 will be a day off for residents. This falls a couple of weeks after the Eid Al Adha break.
Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday: Believed to be on Rabi Al Awwal 12, residents will get a holiday for the occasion in September.
UAE National Day: Residents will get two days off in the middle of a working week to celebrate the National Day. Tuesday, December 2, and Wednesday, December 3, will be the last public holiday of 2025.
