Is Christmas a public holiday in the UAE? Here’s what you need to know

Dubai: As Christmas approaches and offices across the UAE enter the year-end slowdown, many employees are asking a familiar question: Is Christmas Day a public holiday in the UAE? The short answer is no.

Christmas is not listed among the UAE’s official public holidays under the Cabinet resolution regulating holidays for both public and private sectors, which came into force on January 1, 2025.

Under the resolution, official public holidays are limited to specific national and religious occasions, including:

Christmas Day, observed on December 25, does not feature on this list.

While Christmas is not an official holiday, New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1, 2026, is a public holiday. The UAE government has also announced that Friday will be observed as a remote working day, creating a long weekend for many employees across government entities.

Despite not being recognised as a public holiday, the festive season is still widely marked across the country. Many private companies, multinational firms, and schools grant internal leave, flexible working arrangements, or early closures on December 25 as part of their organisational policies, especially in sectors with large international workforces.

These arrangements, however, remain discretionary and are not mandated by law.