UAE Public Holidays 2025: More Days Off Could Be on the Horizon

The UAE has announced its official list of public holidays for 2025 and thereby given people a head start to plan their vacations. The country will have at least 12 public holidays next year, with the chance for another day off should Ramadan be 30 days as it was this year – 301.

This was published in May 2024 in the UAE official Gazette as a result of a re-visualization of some federal laws. The new guidelines are outlined in part two of the UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 and regulation the new ways through which public holidays will be effectively observed from January 1, 2025 onwards.

A very important feature of the resolution is that when a public holiday happens to occur on a weekend then is shifted either to the beginning or the end of the week as the Cabinet may decide. This adjustment does not apply to any festivities especially the Eid Al Fitr or the Eid Al Adha. For instance, if the holiday is on a Saturday then the public could possibly be given Thursday three off and have Monday as a holiday and on the other a holiday on Sunday then the public could be given Tuesday three off and have Friday as a holiday.

Holidays in the UAE are government holidays and are implemented on both the private and public sectors and are as follows: Even though there are some Islamic festivals and functions which depend on the various sightings of the moon, the occasions which are to be celebrated are already decided.

The other public holidays in 2025 that have already been approved are New Year’s Day, Eid Al Fitr, Arafat Day, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad and UAE National Day falling on December 2-3. Also in the case if the current month happens to be a 30-day month such as Ramadan another day off could be provided.

Confirmed UAE Public Holidays 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: Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday
• December 2, 2025: UAE National Day
• December 3, 2025: UAE National Day

Predicted UAE Public Holidays 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
• The Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) birthday: September 1, 2025
• Commemoration Day: December 1, 2025
• National Day: December 2-3, 2025

By doing so, they can prepare for the long weekends and other breaks in advance also, which can be quite useful while planning for their travel or while planning for a ‘staycation’. The resolution also provides that local governments can request and may later grant or add more official public holidays not previously considered by the national cabinet.