Public Holidays UAE: Full List and Entitlements

In 2026, the UAE observes at least 14 public holidays across the calendar year, covering both fixed-date national occasions and lunar-based Islamic observances confirmed annually by official government announcement (u.ae, 2026). For employees and employers alike, knowing the exact dates, and the pay rules attached to them, is not optional. Miss a substitute day obligation or deduct pay on a gazetted holiday, and you're looking at a MOHRE inquiry and potential penalties. The governing legislation is Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. The lunar calendar shifts approximately 11 days earlier each Gregorian year, meaning Islamic holiday dates move every cycle. Official moon-sighting announcements can shift confirmed dates by 1–2 days from any estimate. The UAE Cabinet publishes the annual schedule via (uaecabinet.ae, 2026).

This guide covers the complete public holidays UAE list for 2025 and 2026, clearly separating fixed-date holidays from approximate lunar dates, then sets out every entitlement: paid leave, rest-day rules, compensation for working a public holiday, and how the private and public sectors differ.

What Are Public Holidays UAE and How Are They Declared

Public holidays UAE are officially gazetted rest days on which employees are entitled to paid leave under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. The UAE Cabinet announces the holiday schedule each year. Fixed-date holidays are set in advance; Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and are confirmed by official announcement, making them approximate until then.

Fixed-Date Holidays vs. Lunar-Based Holidays

Fixed-date holidays, New Year's Day on 1 January and UAE National Day on 2–3 December, fall on the same Gregorian calendar date every year. You can lock these into annual rosters from day one of January without waiting for any government circular.

Lunar-based Islamic holidays are a different matter entirely. They depend on the Hijri calendar and physical moon sighting, so any date you see published before the official announcement is an estimate, not a confirmed fact. Eid Al Fitr 2025 is a good illustration: the holiday was provisionally estimated for late March, but the precise start date shifted by one day after the official moon-sighting announcement was published. Treat every lunar date as provisional until the Cabinet or MOHRE confirms it.

Note for employers: Never print lunar holiday dates as fixed in employment contracts or staff handbooks. Always reference "as confirmed by official UAE government announcement."

Which Law Governs Public Holiday Rights

Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) is the primary legislation covering all private-sector employees. Federal and emirate-level government employees are governed by separate HR regulations issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.

MOHRE enforces the private-sector rules. Any dispute over unpaid holiday pay or unlawful deductions can be raised directly through the MOHRE portal. Free zone employees follow the same federal law unless their free zone authority issues supplementary rules that explicitly provide greater benefits, for example, a private-sector employee working in a Dubai free zone is covered by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 for public holiday pay as the minimum floor.

For a full picture of how public holidays interact with annual and sick leave, see our guide to MOHRE services and labour inquiries in the UAE.

The Official UAE Holidays List: Fixed and Lunar Dates

The UAE observes around 14 public holidays per year, split between fixed Gregorian dates and lunar Islamic occasions. Fixed holidays include New Year's Day and UAE National Day. Lunar holidays, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, and the Prophet's Birthday, are announced officially each year and should be treated as approximate until confirmed (u.ae, 2026).

Fixed-Date Public Holidays in the UAE

Three holidays fall on the same Gregorian date every year, no moon sighting required:

• New Year's Day: 1 January, fixed annually

• Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day): 1 December, fixed annually

• UAE National Day: 2–3 December, fixed annually

In 2024, UAE National Day fell on a Monday and Tuesday (2–3 December), giving private-sector workers a clean two-day break with no bridging day needed. Worth noting: the Cabinet sometimes issues a circular granting an additional bridging day when a holiday lands mid-week. Keep an eye on (uaecabinet.ae) for those announcements each year.

Lunar-Based Islamic Holidays: Approximate Dates and How to Read Them

The following holidays shift each year because they follow the Hijri calendar. The lunar calendar moves approximately 11 days earlier each Gregorian year, and moon-sighting confirmation can move any given date by a further 1–2 days. For Eid Al Adha 2025, the UAE government confirmed the holiday dates only after the official moon sighting, with the announcement published on (uaecabinet.ae) approximately one week before the event.

All lunar dates below are approximate. Confirm via official government announcement before communicating to employees.

UAE Public Holidays 2025–2026: Full List with Date Type and Duration

Complete UAE Public Holiday Calendar: At-a-Glance Table

The UAE public holiday calendar lists approximately 14 days per year across fixed and lunar occasions. The table above shows each holiday, its typical Gregorian date range, whether it is fixed or lunar, and the number of days granted. Lunar dates are marked as approximate and must be confirmed via official government announcement before communicating to employees.

How to Use This Table for Workforce Planning

Fixed-date holidays can go straight into your annual roster on 1 January. Lock in New Year's Day, Commemoration Day, and UAE National Day immediately. Every other holiday on the list needs a provisional placeholder.

An HR manager at a Dubai logistics firm, for example, would set the annual leave planner in January, marking Eid Al Fitr as "TBC, approximate late March" and updating staff via internal notice the moment the official announcement is released on (mohre.gov.ae). That's the right process. Never push a lunar date to employees as confirmed until the Cabinet has spoken.

Planning Considerations for the UAE Holiday Calendar

• Mark all lunar holidays as "TBC" in HR systems at the start of the year.

• Update rosters within 24 hours of each Cabinet announcement going live.

• Never rely on social-media estimates, cross-reference only with (uaecabinet.ae) and (mohre.gov.ae).

• Ensure payroll runs reflect confirmed dates, not provisional estimates.

• Cabinet may add bridging days by circular, subscribe to official channels.

Public Holiday Entitlement UAE: What the Law Actually Guarantees

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, private-sector employees are entitled to paid leave on all official public holidays. If a holiday falls on a weekly rest day, the employee is owed a substitute day off. Working on a public holiday entitles the employee to the day's pay plus a 50% premium, or a substitute rest day in lieu.

Is a Public Holiday Always a Paid Day?

Yes. Under Article 28 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, all gazetted public holidays are paid for private-sector employees. No deduction is permitted from basic salary or applicable allowances. An employee on an AED 10,000 basic monthly salary working a standard five-day week receives their full daily equivalent, approximately AED 333, for each public holiday without any reduction.

Part-time employees receive pro-rated pay aligned to their contracted hours. Probationary employees are entitled to public holiday pay from day one of employment, there is no exemption or waiting period under the law.

What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Rest Day

Rule: A substitute paid day off is mandatory, not discretionary. If a public holiday coincides with an employee's designated weekly rest day (Friday or Saturday in most UAE workplaces), the employer must grant a substitute day off, typically the next working day.

For example: if UAE National Day (2 December) falls on a Friday in a given year, an employee whose rest day is Friday is entitled to a substitute paid day off, typically on the following Sunday. Employer and employee may agree an alternative day, but the employer cannot simply absorb the holiday into the rest period without compensation. This protection applies to every gazetted public holiday on the official holidays UAE list.

Compensation for Working on a Public Holiday

Three scenarios apply when an employee is required to work on a public holiday:

1. Standard option: Normal day's pay plus a premium of at least 50% of basic salary for those hours, per Article 28. A warehouse operative on AED 6,000 basic salary who works an 8-hour shift on Eid Al Adha is owed their normal daily pay of approximately AED 200 plus a 50% premium of AED 100, a total of AED 300 for that day.

2. Substitute rest day: The employer may grant a substitute rest day instead of the premium, but only with the employee's agreement. The choice is not solely the employer's to make.

3. Premium calculation basis: The 50% premium applies to the basic wage only. Allowances (housing, transport, etc.) are excluded from the calculation.

For how premium pay interacts with extended hours on a public holiday, refer to our guide on MOHRE services and labour rights in the UAE.

How Public Sector and Private Sector Rules Differ

Public-sector (federal government) employees follow regulations issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, which typically grants more holidays and longer durations than the private-sector minimum under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Private-sector employees are governed by MOHRE; free zone employees follow the same federal law unless their free zone authority provides superior terms.

Government (Public Sector) Holiday Entitlements

Federal government employees often receive additional days for major Islamic occasions beyond the private-sector minimum. Dubai government entities have historically granted an additional half-day or full day around Eid Al Fitr, over and above the Cabinet-announced private-sector entitlement (UNVERIFIED: exact number of additional days per ministry. Confirm before publishing.).

Emirate-level government bodies may set their own supplementary holiday schedules on top of the federal list. Public-sector compensation frameworks for working on a holiday also differ from the private-sector 50% premium model, check with the relevant HR authority for your emirate or ministry for the precise rules that apply to your organisation.

Private Sector and Free Zone Employee Rules

Federal

References

• u.ae (u.ae)

• uaecabinet.ae (uaecabinet.ae)

• MOHRE (mohre.gov.ae)