Dubai Metro operating hours extended for Eid Al Adha

Amended timings for holiday period announced by emirate's transport authority

The Dubai Metro will operate until 1am instead of midnight during Eid Al Adha

Dubai Metro will operate for an additional hour during the Eid Al Adha holiday.

The emirate's Roads and Transport Authority said trains would run from 5am until 1am each day until Sunday, July 2.

The amended timetable came into effect on Friday, the RTA said on social media on Sunday morning.

The mode of transport typically operates from 5am until midnight, apart from Fridays when services run until 1am the next day.

The RTA said the move had been made to ensure an "easy commute for passengers".

Eid Al Adha – the “festival of the sacrifice” – will be observed from Wednesday.

Many public and private sector workers will enjoy at least a six-day break from work to mark the festivities.

Paid leave will last from Tuesday until Friday, with work resuming the following morning for those not employed on weekend shifts.

The RTA has offered guidance for those will be travelling overseas during the holiday.

The Authority advised people to make use of Metro routes connecting directly to Dubai International Airport.

Holidaymakers should arrive at the airport at least four hours before their flight, the RTA said in a Tweet.

Dubai International Airport is braced for one of its busiest periods of the year, as the long Eid Al Adha break coincides with the traditional summer season surge in travel.

Eid Al Adha 2023 - in pictures

Eid Al Adha lights along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A child chooses a thread spool from a display at a tailor's shop in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, ahead of Eid Al Adha. AFP

A Saudi shepherd and his flock await Eid customers at a market in Riyadh. Reuters

Feeding sheep in a temporary livestock market in Bengaluru, southern India, in the lead up to Eid Al Adha. Getty Images

Women working in a tailor's shop at a market in Mazar-i-Sharif, northern Afghanistan, ahead of Eid al-Adha. AFP

Sacrificial camels and vendors at a cattle market in Lahore, northern Pakistan, in the lead up to Eid Al Adha. AFP

A man washes a sacrificial cattle at a car wash in Karachi, southern Pakistan, before Eid Al Adha. EPA

Children with goats in a street in Rawalpindi, northern Pakistan, ahead of Eid Al Adha. AFP

A vendor prepares traditional sweets in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, before Eid Al Adha. EPA

A blacksmith sharpens knives in Peshawar, north-west Pakistan, ahead of Eid Al Adha. EPA

A man sells camels at a market in the lead up to Eid Al Adha, in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA

Muslims often slaughter animals during Eid Al Adha, which is the “feast of the sacrifice". EPA

At most Eid markets, camels cost more than cows and sheep. EPA

Eid Al Adha decor at the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Eid Al Adha decor at the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Eid Al Adha decor at the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Ornaments for sacrificial animals at a roadside shop before Eid Al Adha in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA

A livestock market with cattle due to be slaughtered for Eid Al Adha near Giza, Egypt. Reuters

A Yemeni market trader sells dried fruit in Sanaa before Eid. AFP

Roasted nuts for sale in Sanaa ahead of Eid Al Adha. AFP

Yemenis shop in Sanaa before the festival. AFP

A sacrificial bull is lowered from a roof by crane in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters

A sacrificial animal market in Giza, Egypt. EPA

An Egyptian butcher prepares slaughtered sacrificial sheep in Cairo. EPA

During Eid Al Adha, Muslims slaughter an animal divide the meat for family, friends and the poor and needy. EPA

A sheep imported from Spain is weighed in Skhirat, Morocco. EPA

A market in Peshawar, Pakistan. Eid Al Adha is one of the holiest Muslims holidays. EPA

A bull is brought down from the rooftop of a house where it was raised to be sold for Eid Al Adha in Karachi. AP

A bull at a cattle market on the outskirts of Karachi. AFP

Customers check the teeth of a camel on the outskirts of Karachi. AFP

Decorated sacrificial animals for sale in Karachi. EPA

Emirates Red Crescent staff distribute clothes to 44,000 people in Syria for Eid Al Adha. Wam