Read next: UAE announces start date for Eid Al Adha 2025
Workers in the UAE could be in line for a four-day break next month after astronomers predicted Eid Al Adha will begin on Friday, June 6.
It is forecast that the long holiday weekend will start on Thursday, June 5, with Arafat Day, followed by Eid Al Adha on Friday, June 6, running until Sunday, June 8.
Celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world, Eid Al Adha begins on the 10th day of Dhu Al Hijja, the last month in the Islamic calendar.
The first day of the Islamic month is expected to coincide with Wednesday, May 28, said Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of Emirates Astronomy Society.
The moon crescent marking the start of Dhu Al Hijja would have appeared on Tuesday, May 27, at 7.02am, Mr Al Jarwan added, but it will be difficult to see with the naked eye.
“The crescent will be visible after sunset for 38 minutes. It means that Wednesday, May 28, will be the first day of Dhu Al Hijja and Eid Al Adha will likely be on Friday, June 6,” Mr Al Jarwan told The National.
The exact Eid Al Adha dates will be confirmed in the UAE by its Moon-sighting committee closer to the time.
Arafat Day, the second day of the week-long Hajj pilgrimage, falls on Dhu Al Hijja 9 in the Islamic calendar, one day before Eid.
What is Eid Al Adha?
Eid Al Adha – which means “festival of the sacrifice” – is when Muslims commemorate how the Prophet Ibrahim was asked by God in a dream to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a test of his faith.
As with other religious holidays in the Emirates, it is a time for friends and family to gather, often over meals, and reflect on their lives and faith.
It is customary for families who have the means to slaughter a goat or sheep and share the meat with relatives and the less privileged.
How long is the public holiday?
Both public and private sector employees will have days off work for the holiday this year.
If initial predictions are accurate and Arafat Day falls on June 5, employees look set to have a four-day weekend.
This is because June 5 is a Thursday, and the following three days will be set aside to mark Eid Al Adha, amounting to two working days off.
It means the public holiday is likely to run from Thursday, June 5, and conclude on Sunday, June 8, with employees returning to work on Monday, June 9.
What is Hajj?
Millions of pilgrims travel to Makkah to perform Hajj each year, with many also heading further north to the city of Madinah.
All Muslims able to do so are required to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime. Hajj and the other four pillars of Islam form a foundation of life in the religion. The event is a deeply spiritual experience.
Eid Al Adha 2024 - in pictures
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The Eid Al Adha morning prayer around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, at the start of the holiday marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP -
A shepherd with a flock of a sheep in Iraq's southern city of Basra on the eve of Eid Al Adha. AFP -
Worshippers at Baitul Makmur Grand Mosque, during Eid Al Adha celebrations in Meulaboh, West Aceh, Indonesia. Reuters -
Devotees greet each other after offering Eid Al Adha prayers in Kolkata, north-east India. AFP -
Palestinians attend Eid Al Adha prayers in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. EPA -
Worshippers pray at Eid Al Adha celebrations in Naples, southern Italy. EPA -
Women enter the hall of a mosque for a mass prayer, during Eid Al Adha celebrations in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur. Reuters -
A sacrificial bull is loaded on to a trailer during Eid Al Adha celebrations in Istanbul. EPA -
Security personnel frisk devotees entering Jami mosque in Herat, western Afghanistan, to offer Eid Al Adha prayers. AFP -
A Kashmiri girl has her hands decorated with henna ahead of Eid Al Adha, in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region. EPA -
Worshippers attend prayers on Eid Al Adha at the Sir Ali Muslim Club Ground cricket ground, in Kenya's capital Nairobi. Reuters -
A Muslim worshipper in the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, during the first day of Eid Al Adha in Istanbul. AP -
Balloons are released during an Eid Al Adha service at Al Sayeda Zainab Mosque in Cairo. EPA -
Baghdad residents take a ride at an amusement park at sunset, as they celebrate Eid Al Adha in Iraq's capital. Reuters -
Eid Al Adha prayers at the Jama Masjid, in India's capital New Delhi. AP -
Eid Al Adha prayers, held on the athletics track of the Dinamo Stadium, in Romania's capital Bucharest. AP -
Eid Al Adha prayers at Moskovsky Prospekt during celebrations in St Petersburg. AP
