Major changes in UAE calendar

Major changes have been made to the UAE work calendar following the death of Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Mourning period

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will not receive well-wishers for Eid, Al Adha, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said.

A mourning period of 40 days has been declared, with flags flying at half-mast as the nation mourns the loss of Shaikh Maktoum.

Public sector

All ministries, government agencies and departments will be closed for seven days, starting January 4. Public sector offices will reopen on January 14 after the Eid Al Adha holidays.

Private sector

The private sector will be closed for three days to mourn the death of Shaikh Maktoum, starting Thursday and will reopen on Sunday, January 8.

Banks

Banks are closed for four days until January 8.

Eid Al Adha

The Eid Al Adha holidays for the private sector will run as announced from January 9 to January 11. It will reopen on Thursday, January 12.

Schools

Private and public schools in the UAE will be closed till January 13, according to a Ministry of Education official.

Juma Ahmad Al Salami, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry, told Gulf News the Ministry's Private Education Department has issued a decision putting off the scheduled private school examinations and closing the schools to mourn the death of Shaikh Maktoum.

"All the schools will reopen on January 14; some of the schools were conducting their exams. Now, they will continue after the vacation," he said

Dubai Shopping Festival

Major events scheduled to open in Dubai have also been cancelled or postponed as a gesture of respect.

A spokesperson for the Dubai Shopping Festival, which was supposed to begin on January 4, said the festival has been postponed for a week, after which organisers will decide whether to hold the annual event.

Sporting events

Some major international sporting events have also been put on hold during the 40-day mourning period. Around 14,000 people were due to participate in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on January 6.

Organisers said the event has now been postponed to February. Race president, Ahmad Al Kamali, told Gulf News that participants have been very supportive of their decision to postpone the event, even though it meant most of the international runners had to leave the UAE.

"We received good cooperation from the people. They did not panic. Most of them understood the situation," he said.

Musical events

Musical events have either been cancelled or postponed at popular nightspots in Dubai as a mark of respect.

"We have sent a circular to all live music venues saying that they must close for entertainment, music and dancing until further notice," said Mohammad Khalifa, Deputy Manager for Entertainment and Tourism at the Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing.

Event organisers Mirage Promotions said the performance by British dance artist Fat Boy Slim scheduled for January 5 has been cancelled.

"We are waiting confirmation of when it can happen at a later date," said a spokesperson.

Ranya Ashur, Gulf International Promotions Officer for Circus Oz who were due to perform during the festival said, "As of today the performers and artists will not be coming to Dubai while we wait for further instructions from the Festival organisers."