Public Holidays in UAE-2012

The UAE Public Holidays revolve around the Islamic religion, traditions and festivals. Starting 1998, UAE has had a 5 day government working week. Normally the weekend falls on Friday –Saturday. However the private sector is allowed to make its own exceptions.

As most of the Islamic festivals are based on the appearance of the moon, the dates are likely to vary and can be confirmed only a short time before the actual holiday begins. As it’s based on the lunar cycle, The UAE public holiday calendar changes each year. Islamic religious holidays begin at sunset, the day prior to the holiday.

UAE Public Holidays-2012

International New Year’s Day	Sunday, 1 January 2012
Mouloud – Birth of the Prophet Mohammed	Sunday, 5 February 2012
Israa & Miaraj Night / Leilat al-Meiraj – Ascension of the Prophet	Sunday, 17 June 2012
Eid 2012	Saturday, 18 August 2012( This holiday is regional and may be limited to certain groups of people). Sunday, 19 August 2012 Monday, 20 August 2012 Tuesday, 21 August 2012 Eid al-Fitr – End of Ramadan
Arafat (Haj) Day	Thursday, 25 October 2012
Qurban 2012	Friday, 26 October 2012 (Feast of Sacrifice) Saturday, 27 October 2012 Sunday, 28 October 2012 Eid al-Adha / Qurban – Feast of the Sacrifice, a 3-days public holiday
Al-Hijra / Hijri New Year’s Day – Islamic New Year	Thursday, 15 November 2012
National Day	Sunday, 2 December 2012 Monday, 3 December 2012 UAE National Day – a 2-days public holiday