UAE public holiday: 'Prophet's birthday to fall on October 29'

Birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is expected to fall on October 29, 2020, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

The birthday of Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the 12th day of Rabi Al Awwal. In Arabic, the holiday is referred to as Eid Al Mawlid Al Nabawi.

This means a long weekend at the end of October.

This holiday is less of a celebration and more of an observance. It is encouraged for Muslims to spend the day connecting with God spiritually, by either fasting or reading the Quran. Muslims commemorate the anniversary of the birth of the Messenger of God.

Prophet Mohammed was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the year 570 AD of the Gregorian calendar. The precise Gregorian date of his birth is unclear. However, Muslims observe Muhammed's birthday on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi Al-Awwal, which is the third month of the Islamic year.