Now we are well into the final day of the last public holiday of 2019, you may be wondering, when is my next day off?
The good news is you only have to wait a mere four weeks, because as usual, 2020 will begin with a day off on January 1 to celebrate the start of the new year.
However, after that it will be a little longer, with four, or potentially even five days off, in May to mark Eid Al Fitr, depending on how long the lunar month of Ramadan is. If Ramadan is 30 days long, which some expect it will be, the holiday will be five days, from around Saturday, May 23, to Wednesday, May 27, — giving everyone a six-day weekend. However, if the month is only 29 days-long, the holiday could end on Tuesday, May 26.
Arafat Day, which is expected to fall on July 30, a Thursday, will be the next public holiday, followed by a three-day break for Eid Al Adha, which is estimated to begin on July 31 and last until Sunday, August 2.
After that, Emiratis and residents can expect a long weekend with Sunday, August 23, likely to be a public holiday to celebrate Islamic New Year, followed by a day’s holiday on Thursday, October 29, to mark the Prophet's Birthday.
Finally, there will be a three-day break, starting with a public holiday to mark Commemoration Day on Tuesday, December 1, followed by another two days off from December 2 and 3 to celebrate National Day.
This year, the UAE Cabinet issued a decree unifying the number of holiday days between the public and private sector.
Previously, people employed in the public sector enjoyed more days off than those working for private companies.
The move was part of long-standing efforts to encourage Emiratis to move away from government jobs, where the vast majority of UAE nationals work.
