The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government announces the list of Public Holidays in UAE at the beginning of every year. The Hijri calendar is the official reference to determine Islamic occasions, such as the beginning of Ramadan, Eid or Haj. It is based on the phases of the moon. Thus, the exact dates of Islamic events vary from one Gregorian year to another as they are subject to moon sighting.


The list of UAE public holidays is an official reference to determine special occasions in the Islamic calendar, as well as other dates designated for celebrating important events. Those working in the public sector can expect more days off than those in the private sector. Public holidays are paid, and may not count towards an employee’s annual leave.


By using our guide, you can plan your year to upcoming 2019 public holidays in 2019 and all the long weekends this year. Major public and private sector UAE holidays include National Day, Eid Al Fitr, and Eid Al Adha, with residents most likely to leave on vacation.


During winter break, schools in UAE implement a three-week school holiday while teachers get two weeks off. Meanwhile, students at most schools also get an additional two and a half week holiday during spring break. Longest school holidays are during summer when students enjoy a seven-week break and six weeks for teachers, which now coincides with Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr.


All federal ministries, public departments and institutions will be closed on the following UAE public holidays.