How the UAE compares with the rest of the world for public holidays

India tops a list of nations for public holidays, with 21. Colombia and the Philippines come a close second, each with 18 holidays but propping up the list is Mexico, with just seven.

A family celebrates Eid in Safa park, Dubai. Lee Hoagland / The National

ABU DHABI // Workers across the UAE may be treated to at least 11 public holidays this year - but there will be a few envious glances in the direction of those in India, who will enjoy almost double that.
Public sector workers in the UAE will have a further four public holidays over those in the private sector, taking their total to 15, but it is still some way short of the numbers enjoyed by the 1.252 billion Indians in 2015.
The country tops a list of nations for public holidays, with 21. Colombia and the Philippines come a close second, each with 18 holidays, but Mexico has just seven.
Most of the UAE's national holidays and festivals are based on the sighting of the moon, rather than fixed dates in the Hijri calendar.
Chadi Jaber, the owner of Healthy Home, a Dubai business that offers home improvement solutions across the UAE and employs 20 staff, said: "Having extra days off is always fantastic, both mentally and physically," he said. "We live in a fast-paced country where you need to catch up as fast as you can, otherwise you lose, and this has such a negative impact on our lives.
"We need to give double the effort to keep anything in our lives alive apart from our job. We even take work home with us thanks to smartphones.
"Holidays are a must, but company owners always need their staff to work."
After Cabinet approval, holidays in the UAE are sometimes changed so workers can enjoy a long weekend.
For example, if a holiday falls midweek or between two working days it is often moved to join a weekend.
Munir Badr established a start-up IT company in 2011, covering Dubai and Sharjah. AE Server employs six people working on web hosting and design, but Mr Badr offers a flexible working arrangement for staff.
"The number of bank holidays does not have a big impact on my business," he said.
"My staff can check their emails at any time of the day, so we are a 24/7 business. I find by offering those who work for me flexibility, it encourages productivity."
Tim Walmsley, managing director of Impact Porter Novelli, an agency of 35 staff in Dubai, said: "From a financial standpoint, although public holidays can sometimes disrupt day-to-day work, they also give people time to recharge.
"This is really valuable to our businesses as our commodity is fundamentally our people. The 11 UAE public holidays are slightly below the global average but, as an international company, we operate as if there are more.
"We give an extra day to our employees to celebrate their birthdays and also when people are travelling during Easter."
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