UAE public holidays: How many days off do we have left in 2020?
If you start planning now, you could get those extra days off approved
The total remaining public holidays for 2020 in the UAE are now four days. So far, we’ve celebrated New Year’s Day on January 1, which fell on a Wednesday.
Then Eid Al Fitr, which came after Ramadan. At the time, many people were working from home, so they welcomed a few days off for Eid Al Fitr, which fell on Sunday, May 24 until Monday, May 25.
The next holiday was Arafat Day, which was celebrated for one day. This holiday takes place roughly 70 days after the end of Ramadan, Arafat Day marks the second day of Haj, or pilgrimage. The UAE enjoyed a public holiday on Thursday, July 30.
We also enjoyed time off for Eid Al Adha, which was a well needed three-day holiday. Eid Al Adha is one of the two festivals of Islam and is celebrated by all Muslims. Eid Al Adha kicked off on Friday, July 31 and last until Sunday, August 2. We are back to work now. So when’s then ext holiday for UAE residents?
The latest UAE public holiday for residents actually took place this month. It was the Hijri New Year, which was a one-day celebration that marks the migration of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) from Makkah to Madinah.
The next upcoming holiday is Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday, which is a one-day holiday. In Arabic, the holiday is referred to as Eid Al Mawlid an Nabawi. It is expected to fall on Wednesday, October 28 or Thursday, October 29.
Martyr’s Day is then next on the list. It is a one-day holiday, to honour Emiratis who have died fighting for and defending their country. Martyr’s day will take place on December 1, which is a Tuesday.
The last holiday of 2020 will be UAE National Day, which take place on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3. Combined with Martyr’s day, we will benefit from a five-day long weekend.
