UAE Announces 2025 Public Holidays: Potential for Extra Days Off

The upcoming year planning for holidays in 2025 has been made easier as the UAE has announced its public holidays next year. There are at least 12 public holidays in a year’s calendar and more could be possible depending on the actual occurrence in the year, so 2025 is looking to be a good year for people to get as many days off.

The early announcement, He further stated that out of a review of federal laws, the UAE has brought about the UAE Cabinet Resolution No.27 of 2024 which was published in the UAE’s official gazette in May the same year. This resolution outlines a key change: what is more, the organisation may choose to shift a public holiday, observed during the weekend towards the beginning of the week or towards the end of it, meaning that workers may have an extra day off. Nonetheless, this rule does not include the Eid Al Fitr holiday or the Eid Al Adha holiday.

This change implies that if for some odd reason, Islamic New Year is on a Saturday for instance, a free day might be added before the Saturday or the Monday following the Saturday. This resolution shall come into operation 31 December 2024 and will extend across sectors, including the private and public sectors.

The holidays are familiar events which are New Year’s Day on 1st January, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, and UAE National Day on 2nd & 3rd December. Due to some Islamic holidays that depend on moon sightings, their exact dates will be determined in due course but the projected dates are constructive to planning.

For those wanting to optimise the amount of personal time and having more enjoyable time within the United arab emirates these shifts gives the opportunity to have more long weekends and extended holidays improving work life balance in the UAE.