When is the next public holiday in UAE and how long will it last?
Is December set to bring the biggest break of the year?
DUBAI – Following the three-day weekend marking the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (PBUH) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is still one more official public holiday left in 2025.
Residents face a three-month wait, but the next break promises to be one of the most significant of the year.
The annual holiday marking National Day will take place on Tuesday, 2 December and Wednesday, 3 December.
Eid Al Etihad
The two-day break commemorates the foundation of the United Arab Emirates, known as Eid Al Etihad.
This year, the holiday places the break squarely in the middle of the week. However, the UAE public holiday law also allows for some flexibility, meaning the days could potentially shift to create an extended weekend.
The updated holiday law, introduced in early 2025, already moved Islamic New Year and Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (PBUH) to the Friday closest to their dates, creating three-day weekends. If the same approach is applied to National Day, one option would be moving Wednesday, 3 December to Monday, 1 December. This would result in a four-day long weekend from Monday to Thursday.
What about a longer break?
An alternative scenario could see an extension rather than a shift. If Monday, 1 December is added to the existing 2 and 3 December holidays, residents could enjoy a five-day weekend. While the addition of an extra day is not guaranteed, the public holiday law does permit local governments to declare additional holidays not listed in the official calendar.
Looking ahead to 2026, residents can expect the year to begin with a public holiday on 1 January. Early forecasts suggest that Eid Al Adha could deliver a six-day break later that year.