Public and private sector workers will have a four-day weekend to mark Eid Al Adha.
In a post on X, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said the public holiday will be held from Saturday, June 15 to Tuesday, June 18
Work will resume on Wednesday, June 19.
The public sector will be granted the same paid holiday, the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources announced.
Employees will be given leave on June 15 to mark Arafat Day, with the Eid Al Adha break observed from June 16 to 18.
The religious festival falls on the 10th day of Dhu Al Hijja, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar year.
What is Eid Al Adha?
Eid Al Adha is one of the most important festivals in Islam. It means “festival of the sacrifice” and coincides with the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah, which all Muslims are required to make at least once in their lives if able to do so.
The sacrifice the holiday commemorates is explained in the Quran, which tells how the Prophet Ibrahim was asked by God in a dream to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a test of his faith.
Ibrahim at first dismissed the dream, but it recurred for several nights in a row.
He grappled with the decision but ultimately decided to fulfil God’s command, even though the Devil tried to dissuade him. He threw rocks at the Devil in response; pilgrims at Hajj re-enact this by throwing stones at symbolic pillars.
The worshippers pelt three walls in one of a series of rituals.
As Ibrahim was about to carry out the command, God replaced his son with a goat and told him to sacrifice the animal instead.
Muslims now celebrate the holiday by eating the meat of a sacrificed animal.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
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