Private sector holiday in UAE for Islamic New Year announced
Human resources ministry says the occasion will be an official paid holiday for firms
Dubai: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation today (Tuesday, July 2) announced that Sunday, July 7, 2024 (Muharram 1), will be an official paid holiday for private sector companies in the UAE on the occasion of the new Hijri year 1446 AH.
What is the Hijri year?
The Hijri year is named after the Arabic word for migration, specifically of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) from Mecca to Madina (two holy Muslim cities in what is now Saudi Arabia).
This milestone event in Islamic history took place in the corresponding year of 622 AD. It marked the beginning of the Hijri or Islamic new year as 1 AH (After Hijri).
We are now in 1445 AH. On July 7 – Muharram 1, the first day of the Islamic calendar – we will enter 1446 AH.