Are you already dreaming about your next grand holiday? We certainly are! To help you kickstart your planning for 2025, the UAE has released its public holidays for the year. It appears we can look forward to a minimum of 12 public holidays in the UAE throughout 2025, with the potential for an extra day off if Ramadan spans a full 30 days, just as it did in 2024.
This early announcement regarding the UAE public holidays for 2025 was made back in May through the UAE’s official gazette, following a thorough review of various federal laws within the constitution. The announcement introduced a new resolution under Part Two of UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. This resolution details modifications regarding how certain public holidays will be announced moving forward.
As per the resolution, when a holiday coincides with the weekend, it “may be carried over by a Cabinet decision to the beginning or end of the week.” However, this does not apply to Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha. If a public holiday happens to fall on a Saturday or Sunday, an additional day off could potentially be granted on the preceding Friday or the following Monday. For example, had this resolution been applicable this year, we might have enjoyed an extra day off on the Friday or Monday for the Islamic New Year, which fell on a weekend.
This revision of laws regarding labor relations, human resources, and public holidays in the UAE led to the creation of this resolution, which affects both the private and public sectors. The new public holiday guidelines will officially come into effect starting Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
While we may not have the exact dates for some holidays until closer to their occurrence—since many dates depend on moon sightings—we do know the occasions for which we will be off work.
When are the UAE Public Holidays in 2025?
- January 1, 2025: New Year’s Day
- Ramadan 30: If Ramadan is a 30-day month
- Shawwal 1: Eid Al Fitr holiday
- Shawwal 2: Eid Al Fitr holiday
- Shawwal 3: Eid Al Fitr holiday
- Dhu Al Hijjah 9: Arafat Day
- Dhu Al Hijjah 10: Eid Al Adha
- Dhu Al Hijjah 11: Eid Al Adha
- Dhu Al Hijjah 12: Eid Al Adha
- Muharram 1: Islamic New Year
- Rabi Al Awwal 12: The birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
- December 2: UAE National Day
- December 3: UAE National Day
Predicted UAE Public Holidays in 2025
- New Year’s Day: January 1, 2025
- Eid Al Fitr: March 31 – April 2, 2025
- Arafat Day: May 30, 2025
- Eid Al Adha: May 31 – June 2, 2025
- Islamic New Year: June 27, 2025
- Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday: September 1, 2025
- Commemoration Day: December 1, 2025
- National Day: December 2-3, 2025
It’s worth noting that if a public holiday overlaps with another holiday or falls on a weekend, it may not be carried over. Additionally, local governments have the discretion to declare other official holidays that are not already defined by the national cabinet.
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