The Cabinet has announced national holidays for the public and private sector for next year.
While the precise dates according to the Gregorian calendar will not be confirmed until much nearer to the time, The National has spoken to leading astronomers for a clearer idea of when the holidays will fall.
For public holidays such as Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha, exact dates are confirmed by the UAE’s Moon-sighting committee in the days preceding the holidays.
But Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society, explained the precision with which the lunar cycle position can be determined using astronomical calculations.
“We can accurately predict the new moon's position for up to 100 years in advance based on certain elements,” he told The National.
“However, an official confirmation is required from the Ministry of Justice despite the scientific accuracy.”
When are 2025's public holidays?
The first public holiday of 2025 will be New Year's Day on Wednesday, January 1, followed by Eid Al Fitr, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan.
Eid Al Fitr could fall between Monday, March 31, and Wednesday, April 2, astronomers at the Emirates Astronomical Society told The National.
Arafat Day is expected to fall on Friday, May 30, which would mean Eid Al Adha will fall from Saturday, May 31, to Wednesday, June 2.
Islamic New Year is expected to fall on Friday, June 27, while the Prophet Mohammed's birthday is expected to fall on Monday, September 1.
Meanwhile, Commemoration Day is set for Monday, December 1, while the public holidays for National Day will likely fall on Tuesday, December 2, and Wednesday, December 3.
The Cabinet has the authority to postpone any of the holidays, except for the Eid holidays, to either the beginning or end of the week to ensure extended weekends.
Holidays that coincide with other official holidays or weekends cannot be postponed.
Mr Al Jarwan said key elements in predicting the lunar cycle include the birth of the new Moon or its conjunction with the Sun, the new Moon's elevation above the horizon at sunset, the age of the new Moon at sunset and how long it remains above the horizon after sunset.
“There are other elements that are based on over 100 years of documented observations and more than 3,000 documented sightings from different parts of the world,” he said.
Watch: Eid al Fitr fireworks 2024
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
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FOOTBALL TEST
Team X 1 Team Y 0
Scorers
Red card
Man of the Match
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
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Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ELIO
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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Jetour T1 specs
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
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The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
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