The crescent of the month of Muharram 1446 was photographed from Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 6.
In a social media post, the UAE’s Astronomy Centre shared an image of the faint crescent as captured by the Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory at 7.26pm UAE time.
UAE residents are set to get one day off on July 7, it was announced on Tuesday.
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On Saturday afternoon, the Astronomy Centre also shared an image of the faint crescent captured by the Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatoryat 3pm UAE time.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) declared the holiday — which falls on a Sunday — on the occasion of Hijri New Year. On the Islamic calendar, this date translates to Muharram 1, marking the start of the new Hijri year 1446 AH.
Other countries like Oman have also announced a holiday for the Hijri New Year, for both public and private sector employees, on July 7, translating into a long weekend for government employees, and private sector companies who operate on a 5-day work-week.
After the Hijri New Year, UAE residents can look forward to a holiday on the occasion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s birthday, according to a list of holidays for 2024, announced by the country’s Cabinet.
The year’s last official holiday will be a long weekend, as the country will be gearing up to celebrate National Day. Public holidays in UAE are in addition to 30 annual leaves that employees can take in a year.