UAE residents have much to look forward to over the next few weeks - the weather has become cooler and National Day celebrations are around the corner.
Indeed, the country is coming up on its busiest holiday season.
This month alone, there are three important dates to mark; Flag Day, the Prophet's birthday and Commemoration Day.
With Flag Day over, the next holiday due is Prophet Mohammed's birthday which, this year, is expected to fall on Wednesday, November 21 on the Gregorian calendar.
The official date will be confirmed closer to the time because it will depend on when the current month in the Islamic calendar (Safar) ends and the next month, containing the Prophet's birthday (Rabi' Al Awaal), begins.
The Prophet's birthday — known as Il Mawlid Al Nabawi — is usually marked as a public holiday in the UAE, but that too will be confirmed closer to the time.
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The next important date for the UAE will be Commemoration Day. Also known as Martyr's Day, November 30 was decreed an annual public holiday in 2015 by President Sheikh Khalifa. It is an occasion to honour the Emiratis who died while serving their country. The date was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the death of Salem Suhail bin Khamis — the first Emirati to die in the line of duty in 1971, shortly before the formation of the UAE.
November 30 will be a Friday and so it is unlikely that a public holiday will be announced.
Next is National Day, held annually on December 2 and this year, celebrating the 47th anniversary of the unification of the Emirates. The date falls on a Sunday, providing a long weekend for both the public and private sector.
The UAE's biggest party will likely spill over into December 3 for public sector employees but official holidays will be announced closer to the time.
After National Day, the countdown leading up to the new year begins, and January 1 will be marked off as usual.
