When is the next UAE public holiday that will actually give us a day off?

If you’re like many people in the UAE, you’ve likely made the most of every public holiday this year. With everyone returning to Dubai after the summer break, the big question now is: when is the next public holiday?

The next upcoming holiday is the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, which is observed on Rabi’ Al-Awwal 12 according to the Islamic Hijri calendar. This year, it is expected to fall on Sunday, September 19.

Since many public holidays in the UAE are determined using the Hijri calendar, which is based on moon cycles and differs from the Gregorian calendar, it’s important to note that if this holiday falls on a weekend, we won’t get a day off. Current UAE rules state that public holidays that coincide with weekends do not carry over.

However, this policy will change in 2025. A new cabinet resolution will allow public holidays that fall on weekends to be observed either at the end of the previous week or at the beginning of the following week.

So, for now, we’re left wondering when the next UAE public holiday will actually give us a day off.

The next UAE public holiday is the National Day, which will give us a long weekend in December. Mark your calendar for Monday, December 2, and Tuesday, December 3, as these days are designated for time off. With the weekend preceding them, this means we’ll enjoy a four-day break—definitely worth the wait!

Following that, we’ll have Wednesday, January 1, 2025, off to celebrate the New Year.

Looking ahead, the public holidays for 2025 have already been announced, featuring a mix of Gregorian and Hijri calendar dates.