Employees in the UAE’s government sector are likely to have 14 holidays in 2017 while their counterparts in the private sector are expected to enjoy 11 days off.
Here’s the list of UAE’s expected public holidays in 2017:
New Year’s Day – Jan 1 (Sunday)
- 1 day holiday
Isra Wal Mi’raj* – April 23 (Sunday)
- 1 day holiday
Eid Al Fitr* – Jun 25 (Sunday)
- 2-3 days holiday
Arafat (Haj) Day* – Aug 31 (Thursday)
- 1 day holiday
Eid Al Adha* – Sept 1 (Friday)
- 2-3 days holiday
Hijri New Year’s Day* – Sept 21 (Thursday)
- 1 day holiday
Commemoration Day – Nov 30 (Thursday)
- 1 day holiday
Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday* – Nov 30 (Thursday)
- 1 day holiday
UAE National Day – Dec 2 (Saturday)
- 2 days holiday
As can be seen from the list above, several holidays fall just before or after the weekend, which will translate into at least four longer weekends for UAE residents in 2017.
*Note : Most of the UAE’s national holidays and festivals are based on the sighting of the moon rather than having fixed dates in the Hijri Calendar. Due to this, the actual dates may vary from those listed below.