Workers in Dubai’s public sector can plan for time off in the middle of June, with authorities setting aside Monday, June 15, 2026, as a paid day away from the office for the start of the Islamic year 1448.
The Dubai Government Human Resources Department said the closure applies across all government bodies, with desks reopening Tuesday, June 16. Because the break lands on the first day of the standard week, anyone observing a Saturday–Sunday weekend stretches the time off to three consecutive days.
Not every workplace will go quiet, though. Operations that rely on rotating shifts, along with bodies tasked with keeping critical public services running, retain the flexibility to rework their rosters so coverage is never interrupted.
Residents of Sharjah stand to gain the most from the timing. There, government staff and pupils already follow a shorter week that closes on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, so the added Monday extends their rest to four days.
The federal picture matches Dubai’s. The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation have each designated the same Monday as an official day off.
Marked on the first of Muharram, the occasion opens the Islamic calendar, a system built on lunar months rather than the fixed solar cycle that governs the Gregorian year.
In its statement, DGHR conveyed its wishes to the country’s leadership, its government and its residents, alongside greetings to Arab and Islamic nations, and voiced hope for sustained prosperity, stability and growth across the UAE.
