UAE Eid Al Adha 2025 holidays explained: What employees need to know

The UAE has announced a four-day public holiday from June 5 to June 8, 2025, to mark the important Islamic occasions of Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha. These dates will see both government and private sector employees enjoying time off, with work resuming on Monday, June 9.

As one of the most significant festivals in the Islamic calendar, Eid Al Adha commemorates the spirit of sacrifice and coincides with the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Arafat Day, which precedes Eid, holds deep spiritual significance as a day of fasting and reflection.

This announcement also raises common questions regarding how public holidays are handled under UAE labour law—particularly when they fall on weekends or overlap with an employee’s scheduled weekly day off.

With legal provisions specifying compensation rules and leave entitlements, this guide outlines everything you need to know about the Eid holidays, how they’re observed in the UAE and beyond, and what the law says about public holiday entitlements. 

Eid Al Adha will be celebrated on Friday, June 6, 2025, in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Australia, and Indonesia. The Day of Arafat falls on June 5.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, Morocco, Mauritania, Brunei, Malaysia, India, and likely Bangladesh will observe Eid on Saturday, June 7, due to the moon not being sighted on Tuesday. Bangladesh’s official confirmation is pending, though it has already declared a 10-day holiday from June 5 to 14.

The UAE has declared a four-day public holiday for both government and private sector employees from Thursday, June 5, to Sunday, June 8, 2025, covering Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha. Work will resume on Monday, June 9.

The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation have confirmed the same dates for the public and private sectors.

According to Article 29 of the UAE Labour Law and Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, if a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is not carried forward or compensated with an additional day off.

Employees required to work on a public holiday must be compensated with either a compensatory day off or pay equivalent to their regular salary plus at least 50% extra.

Weekly days off are not required to fall on weekends, and no additional leave is granted if a public holiday overlaps with an employee’s weekly day off.

If the Eid Al Adha holiday runs from Thursday to Sunday, some of these dates may overlap with weekends. The UAE Cabinet has clarified that holidays are not carried forward or extended if they coincide with weekends or other public holidays. Employees are therefore not automatically entitled to additional days off.

Legal experts confirm that UAE employers are not legally required to offer extra leave if public holidays coincide with weekends. However, additional days off can be granted through mutual agreement between employer and employee, though this is at the employer’s discretion and not mandated by law.

Under Article 29 of the UAE Labour Law, employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of annual leave. If a public holiday occurs during this leave, it is counted as part of the employee’s annual leave and does not result in any extra days being added.

Employees who are required to work on a public holiday must be compensated accordingly. They are entitled to either a compensatory day off or payment of their regular salary plus at least 50% extra. This ensures fair treatment and compensation for working on official holidays.

Every employee is entitled to at least one weekly day off, which may or may not be on a weekend. If a public holiday falls on this weekly day off, employees are not entitled to a substitute day off. The policy maintains uniformity in public holiday compensation.

The UAE Fatwa Council has clarified that Eid Al Adha prayers and Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers, both occurring on June 6, 2025, will be held separately at their respective times. This resolves previous debates and aligns with Islamic jurisprudence.

“While the issue of performing the Friday prayer on the same day as Eid has been a topic of scholarly discussion, the Council affirms that both sermons should be observed independently, in accordance with their respective Sunnah,” the statement read.

The Eid prayer is performed shortly after sunrise and consists of two rak’ahs (units of prayer), with additional takbeerat (declarations of “Allahu Akbar”). In the first rak’ah, the imam recites seven takbeerat after the opening takbeer and before Surah Al-Fatiha. In the second rak’ah, five takbeerat are recited after rising from sujood and before the recitation.

The prayer is performed without an adhan (call to prayer) and is followed by a khutbah (sermon) that emphasises the values of Eid, such as gratitude, sacrifice, and social unity.

Eid Al Adha, or the “Festival of Sacrifice,” commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. Instead, God provided a ram to be sacrificed in his place. The festival marks the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage and is observed through communal prayers, acts of charity, and the ritual sacrifice of livestock. The meat is shared among family, friends, and those in need, reinforcing values of generosity and community.

Arafat Day is expected to fall on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in the UAE, pending moon sighting. It is the ninth day of Dhu Al Hijjah and the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage. Pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered one of his final sermons. For non-pilgrims, it is a day of voluntary fasting and spiritual introspection. Although not obligatory, fasting on this day is highly recommended.

Following Eid Al Adha and Arafat Day, the next provisional public holidays in the UAE for 2025 are:

These dates are subject to official confirmation closer to the occasions.