Dubai: If you usually get a two-day weekend from work on Saturdays and Sundays, this Eid Al Fitr break may be a six-day or a nine-day holiday, depending on the moon sighting.
How? Let’s find out what the official public holiday announcement for the UAE states.
Official list of public holidays in the UAE
As per the announcement by the UAE Cabinet earlier as well as the announcement by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), Eid Al Fitr holidays will begin from Ramadan 29 and go up until Shawwal 3. These are the main dates you should keep in mind when calculating how many days of a break you can expect.
When do Eid holidays begin?
As per the announcement, the holiday will start from the 29th day of Ramadan.
The first day of Ramadan was on Monday, March 11, so the 29th day of Ramadan will be on April 8, which is a Monday. So, Eid holidays will officially begin from Monday, April 8 and if you normally have a Saturday-Sunday weekend, you will have a long weekend with the start of the Eid break.
How many days will the break be in total?
With the Islamic calendar, the number of days can be either 29 or 30, depending on the sighting of the moon, which marks the start of the next month.
If the month of Ramadan is for 29 days, you will get a six-day break. Here’s how:
Saturday, April 6 – weekend
Sunday, April 7 – weekend
Monday, April 8 – Ramadan 29, Eid holiday starts
Tuesday, April 9 – Shawwal 1, first day of Eid Al Fitr
Wednesday, April 10 – Shawwal 2, second day of Eid Al Fitr
Thursday, April 11 – Shawwal 3, third day of Eid Al Fitr, end of Eid holidays.
If the month of Ramadan is for 30 days, you will get a nine-day break. Here’s how:
Saturday, April 6 – weekend
Sunday, April 7 – weekend
Monday, April 8 – Ramadan 29, Eid holiday starts
Tuesday, April 9 – Ramadan 30, Eid holiday continues
Wednesday, April 10 – Shawwal 1, first day of Eid Al Fitr
Thursday, April 11 – Shawwal 2, second day of Eid Al Fitr
Friday, April 12 - Shawwal 3, third day of Eid Al Fitr, end of Eid holidays.
Saturday, April 13 – weekend
Sunday, April 14 – weekend
When will I find out about the exact dates for Eid?
The moonsighting committee gathers on the 29th day of the month, and if the moon is sighted, the next day is the start of a new month. So, on Ramadan 29, which is a Monday (April 8), you will find out how long the holiday will be for.
