Eid Al Fitr holidays for UAE government workers announced

Public holiday will begin on Tuesday, May 11

Afghan men perform Friday prayers at a mosque in the country's capital city of Kabul. Reuters

A man and a boy attend Friday prayers at Al Husseini mosque in Amman, Jordan. Reuters

Palestinians gather during the second Friday prayers of Ramadan, outside the Dome of the Rock at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City. AFP

Pakistani men place food for the people to break their fast on a roadside tent during Ramadan in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA

A Saudi volunteer distributes boxes of iftar meals at a traffic junction in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah. AFP

Devotees perform their taraweeh prayers at Fateh Grand Mosque in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters

A Palestinian man sells traditional sweets in the Old City of Nablus, during Ramadan. EPA

Palestinian children play with sparklers in the street after iftar in Gaza City. AFP

A woman from a humanitarian organisation prepares an iftar meal for the needy in Aleppo, Syria, during Ramadan. AFP

Afghans wait to break their Ramadan fast at a mosque during the holy month, in Kandahar. EPA

A man in Peshawar, Pakistan, sells date palms, a popular appetiser for breaking the fast during Ramadan. EPA

A Kashmiri woman prays at a shrine in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. EPA

A woman reads the Quran while waiting for afternoon prayers at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia EPA

Ramadan worshippers at a mosque in Najaf, Iraq. Reuters

Palestinian children cool off in Al Fara spring near the village of Tubas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, during a heat wave in Ramadan. AFP

Hamodah Zakout, a Palestinian musaharati, beats a drum to wake people for their pre-dawn suhoor meal at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. AP Photo

Women outside a mosque during the Muslim fasting month in Najaf, Iraq. Reuters

A woman with a decorative crescent moon at an orphanage in the Syrian capital Damascus. Reuters

Young Tunisian volunteers prepare meals for people in need, in Ariana, in the capital Tunis. EPA

A child sells prickly pear fruit on a street in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA

Worshippers pray before breaking their fast in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. EPA

The family of Nour El-Sabah, 35, prepare traditional food to sell during Ramadan in Beni Suef, Egypt. Reuters

Women break their fast at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Reuters

Crowds gather to receive free bread during the holy month in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA

An Indonesian student reads a Braille Quran at the Raudlatul Makfufin Boarding School in Pamulang, Banten. EPA

A man in the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, India, reads the Quran during Ramadan . AFP

UAE authorities announced that Eid Al Fitr holidays for government workers will begin next Tuesday.

The break will start on Tuesday, May 11, which is the 29th day of Ramadan, and will last until Shawwal 3.

Shawwal 3 is expected to fall on Saturday, May 15, but is dependent on when Eid is called by the Moon-sighting committee.

The decision was confirmed by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources on Tuesday.

What is Eid Al Fitr?

At the end of Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr is the holiday that marks the completion of the month-long fasting. Practices vary around the world, but commonly include morning prayers, public holidays, visiting with family and friends, new clothing and henna, gift-giving, and charity donations.

When is Eid Al Fitr and how is the start determined?

The end of the holy month will be confirmed in the same way as the beginning, by a Moon-sighting committee that is responsible for spotting the new crescent moon.

The duration of the holy month is decided by the Islamic calendar, which consists of 12 lunar months totalling either 354 or 355 days.

That means each month can last either 29 or 30 days.

This year, in the UAE, Ramadan is expected to be on the longer side, at 30 days, according to astronomers.

This would give Eid Al Fitr a likely start date of May 13.

However, an official decision will be announced on the 29th day of Ramadan, on Tuesday, May 11.

How to wish someone a happy Eid