UAE authorities on Wednesday confirmed a one-day paid holiday for government employees on the occasion of Islamic New Year. The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources declared that Muharram 1 on the Islamic calendar will be a holiday.
Depending on Moon-sighting, Muharram 1 is expected to fall on July 7 on the Gregorian calendar.
For the private sector, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) announced on Tuesday that the holiday will be on July 7.
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After the Hijri New Year, residents can also 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.
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.