The UAE Cabinet has revealed the public holiday schedule for 2024, promising UAE residents a total of 13 days off, including four extended weekends. The longest of these breaks will be a six-day holiday period.
These public holidays come in addition to the standard 30 annual leave days available to employees. Recent travel surveys indicate that many expatriates in the UAE prefer to use their annual leaves for trips to their home countries, while the public holidays and extended weekends are often used for international travel or staycations.
Most of the public holidays for 2024, announced this Tuesday, are based on the Islamic calendar. To assist in planning for the upcoming year, dates have been converted to the Gregorian calendar using the Hijri calendar from the Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) website. Since Islamic calendar months are 29 or 30 days long, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon, the actual dates of these holidays will be confirmed by authorities closer to the occasions.
The year will start with a three-day weekend, as January 1st falls on a Monday, offering residents a day of rest after New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Eid Al Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, will provide a six-day break, from Tuesday, April 9 to Friday, April 12, including the weekend. This is based on the prediction of Ramadan lasting 29 days.
Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha are set to offer a five-day holiday from Sunday, June 16 to Wednesday, June 19, including the preceding weekend.
The Islamic New Year in July will bring a one-day holiday on Sunday, July 7, though this will not result in a long weekend for those without a Sunday off.
The exact date for the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday is yet to be determined.
The year will conclude with a four-day break for National Day, from Saturday, November 30 to Tuesday, December 3, encompassing the weekend.