UAE Public Holidays and Holiday Work Pay
The next holiday is shown first; then calculate what you are owed if you work on a holiday.
Pay for working on a public holiday
Public holidays in the UAE: 2026 and 2027
| Holiday | Days | Rest of 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 day | — | Fri 1 Jan |
| Eid al-Fitr | 3–4 days | — | Tue 9 Mar – Thu 11 Mar (or Tue 9 Mar – Fri 12 Mar) · expected |
| Arafat Day | 1 day | — | Sat 15 May (or Sun 16 May) · expected |
| Eid al-Adha | 3 days | — | Sun 16 May – Tue 18 May (or Mon 17 May – Wed 19 May) · expected |
| Islamic New Year | 1 day | — | Sun 6 Jun · expected |
| Prophet's Birthday | 1 day | — | Sat 14 Aug (or Sun 15 Aug) · expected |
| Eid Al Etihad (National Day) | 2 days | Wed 2 Dec – Thu 3 Dec | Thu 2 Dec – Fri 3 Dec |
Pay for working on a holiday
If you have to work on a public holiday, your employer must give you another rest day for each day, or pay the day's wage plus at least 50% of your basic wage (Article 28(2)). We calculate the day's wage on total pay ÷ 30 and the premium on basic ÷ 30, on top of your monthly salary, which already covers the holiday itself.
Example: basic AED 6,000 and total AED 8,000, working one Eid day: 8,000 ÷ 30 = 266.67, and 50% × 6,000 ÷ 30 = 100, so you are owed AED 366.67 or a substitute rest day.
Holidays that fall on the weekend
A holiday that falls on the weekend or on another holiday is not carried over (Article 3 of Resolution 27/2024). The Cabinet can move holidays other than the Eids to the start or end of the week, as it moved the Prophet's Birthday in 2026 to Friday 28 August. A holiday inside your annual leave counts as part of it unless your contract is more generous (Article 29).
Government sector
The list has been the same for both sectors since 2019, and emirate governments may add holidays for their own bodies. Commemoration Day (1 December) has not been a paid holiday since 2025.
Hijri dates are expected dates based on the Umm al-Qura calendar and may move by a day depending on the moon sighting.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Eid Al Etihad holiday in 2026?
Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026 for both sectors under Cabinet Resolution 27/2024, which allows the Cabinet to move it to the start or end of the week. No move had been announced by 3 November 2026; in 2025 it was moved to Monday and Tuesday.
Is Commemoration Day a public holiday?
It has not been a paid holiday since 1 January 2025; Cabinet Resolution 27/2024 on official holidays does not include it.
How many days is the Eid al-Fitr holiday in the UAE?
1 to 3 Shawwal, plus 30 Ramadan if the month has 30 days, according to Resolution 27/2024. The government portal says 29 Ramadan to 3 Shawwal; we follow the resolution.
How much is pay for working on a public holiday in the UAE?
A substitute rest day for each day, or the day's wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage for that day (Article 28 of Decree-Law 33/2021). Example: basic AED 6,000 and total AED 8,000: 266.67 + 100 = AED 366.67 on top of salary.
What if a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday?
It is not carried over: Article 3 of Resolution 27/2024 prevents carrying over a holiday that falls on the weekend or on another holiday.
What are the expected UAE holidays in 2027?
New Year on Friday 1 January, Eid al-Fitr around 9–11 March, Arafat and Eid al-Adha around 15–18 May, the Islamic New Year around 6 June, the Prophet's Birthday around 14 August, and Eid Al Etihad on 2–3 December. Hijri dates depend on the moon sighting.
Sources
- Cabinet Resolution 27/2024 on official holidays (Arabic)
- Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 — Articles 28 and 29 (Arabic)
- UAE Government portal — public holidays
- Khaleej Times — expected UAE holidays in 2027
Figures and formulas on this page were last reviewed on 2026-11-03.