UAE: Islamic New Year Holiday Announced for Public Sector Employees
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.
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.
