How to turn UAE’s Eid Al Etihad public holiday into a nine-day break

Dubai: There is only one public holiday left this year - Eid Al Etihad. While the official duration has not yet been announced for either government or private sector employees, the break could potentially extend to four or even five days.

If you are already thinking about how to stretch your remaining annual leave for a longer break, you are not alone. With the year coming to an end, many employees may have only a few days of paid leave left.

Maximising annual leave in the UAE depends on your company’s leave policy and your employment contract. Ultimately, your employer has the final say on approving or rejecting any leave request. To make the most of your time off, you will need to plan carefully around weekends and official holidays.

Since the holiday falls in the middle of the week, there’s a possibility that Monday may also be given off, resulting in a longer break with the weekend, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday potentially forming a five-day public holiday for most private sector employees.

However, it’s important to note that under UAE Cabinet Resolution No. (27) of 2024 Concerning Public Holidays, the Cabinet may (except for Eid holidays) move any of the designated public holidays to the beginning or end of the week.

If that happens, the December 3 holiday could be shifted to Monday, which would instead create a four-day break when combined with the weekend.

Last year, the National Day public holiday fell on Monday, December 2 and Tuesday, December 3 with work resuming on Wednesday, December 4. As Saturday and Sunday are regular weekends, this meant a four-day break for most residents.

Official public holiday:

Weekends:

To extend your break, consider taking annual leave on:
• Thursday, December 4
• Friday, December 5

This is essentially 'sandwich leave' where your annual leave days are booked around a weekend or public holiday, so the non-working days are included in your leave balance.

By taking these days off, you could enjoy a longer break and use minimal days from your annual leave allowance.

Note: Keep in mind that this holiday breakdown is based on the assumption of a five-day public holiday and applies only if your regular weekend falls on Saturday and Sunday. Always check your company’s official holiday and working hours policy, as the exact duration of the break has not yet been announced by either the public or private sector.

Before you start planning, it’s important to check your company’s leave policy and understand whether your annual leave is calculated in calendar days or working days - this makes a significant difference in how much time off you actually get.

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, employees in the UAE are entitled to 30 days of annual leave per year of service. However, how this leave is calculated determines whether public holidays are included.

To make the most of your limited leave balance, keep the following in mind:

While most employers aim to accommodate leave requests, particularly around popular holiday periods such as Eid Al Etihad, the winter school break, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve - there are several reasons your leave might still be denied.

This article was published on October 10, 2025 and has been updated since.