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UAE public holidays 2025: How to turn 13 days off into 45 days break with smart planning

The Cabinet had announced the official holiday schedule well in advance for the year, making it easier to plan your vacations

Published: Sun 5 Jan 2025, 10:29 AM

Updated: Mon 6 Jan 2025, 3:55 PM

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Zuhara Safa, a 23-year-old Indian expat and marketing coordinator, has mastered the art of planning holidays at the start of the year. She began 2025 by combining her annual leave with the New Year's public holiday on Wednesday, January 1.

"I took January 2 and 3 off, and with Saturday and Sunday being my weekends, I managed to enjoy a five-day break and travel to India," said Zuhara.

This isn't her first successful leave coordination. In 2024, she attended a friend's wedding in India by aligning her annual leave with the two-day National Day holidays. "I took two days off after the holidays, giving me six days (along with weekends) to attend the event," she explained.

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In 2022, graphic designer Talal Mansoor combined his leave with the National Day celebrations. "Thankfully, my company doesn't count public holidays and weekends as part of annual leave. By using just a few leave days and combining them with weekends and public holidays, I was able to enjoy an extended break," said the 30-year-old. "And if the opportunity arises, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again," he added.

Well, UAE residents will have plenty of opportunities along with the 13-day official holidays to snag some extended holidays in 2025—if you plan your leaves right. Don't worry; we've got you covered! We've done the math and are breaking down the public holidays for you so you can start planning.

January: 5 days (New Year's holiday)

The New Year's holiday may be behind us, but like Zuhara, many of you might have seized the chance for a five-day break. If you planned it right by taking leave on Thursday, January 2, and Friday, January 3, you must have enjoyed a five-day weekend when you combine those days with the regular weekend.

April: 9 days (Eid Al Fitr)

The Islamic holiday of Eid Al Fitr will give residents up to four days off this year. According to the UAE Cabinet, the first three days of Shawwal (the month after Ramadan) will be holidays. If Ramadan lasts 30 days, the 30th of Ramadan will also be a holiday, giving residents a four-day break (from Ramadan 30 to Shawwal 3). However, if Ramadan lasts 29 days, the holiday will only cover the first three days of Eid (from Shawwal 1 to Shawwal 3).

Depending on moon sighting, if Ramadan begins on Saturday, March 1, and ends on Sunday, March 30, Eid Al Fitr will likely fall from Monday, March 31, to Wednesday, April 2. If you plan to take leave on Thursday, April 3, and Friday, April 4, you will enjoy a combined nine days off.

June: 10 days (Arafah Day/Eid Al Adha)

Arafah Day, considered the holiest day in Islam, will be a holiday this year, falling on Dhul Hijjah 9. This will be followed by a three-day break for Eid Al Adha (Dhul Hijjah 10-12), giving residents a four-day break in total.

Depending on moon sighting, Arafah Day is expected to fall on Friday, June 6, which has already been announced as a public holiday. The Eid Al Adha break will then run from Saturday, June 7, to Monday, June 9. If you are feeling adventurous and can take an additional four days off, by using annual leave from Tuesday, June 10, to Friday, June 13, you could enjoy a 10-day vacation and return to work on Monday, June 16, ready to handle all the workload (right?).

June: 3 days (Islamic New Year)

Muharram 1 will be a day off for residents, falling just a couple of weeks after the Eid Al Adha break. This holiday is expected to fall on Friday, June 27, which means, when combined with the weekend, you'll enjoy a three-day break.

September: 9 days (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday)

Residents will get a holiday for the occasion of the Prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) birthday, which is believed to fall on Rabi Al Awwal 12. In 2025, this is expected to be on Friday, September 5. If you would rather not use any annual leave, you will still get a 3-day break. However, if your boss is happy to see you happy, plan ahead and apply for four days of annual leave, which will give you a 9-day break until Sunday, September 7.

December: 9 days (UAE National Day)

For the final public holidays of 2025, residents will get two days off midweek to celebrate National Day—Tuesday, December 2, and Wednesday, December 3. But why stop there? You can turn this into a week-long break by applying for annual leave on Monday, December 1, and Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5. With the two weekends included, you will have a 9-day holiday to wrap up the year.

However, not everyone has the flexibility to combine public holidays with their annual leave. W.L., a 43-year-old Pakistani early childhood educator, shared her experience working at a nursery where staff were not allowed to merge leave with public holidays. "In our case, if we bridged public holidays with annual leave, the official holidays would be deducted from our annual leave balance. This made it challenging for staff to manage their leave efficiently."

Note: Except for the Eid holidays, all others can be moved to the beginning or end of the week. This can be done only through a UAE Cabinet decision. Eid holidays like the Islamic calendar depend on moon sightings.

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