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Happy Eid! Parents Delight as Friday Holiday Confirmed for BOTH Public and Private Sector. Moon Sighting Committee Confirms Eid Starts on Wednesday.

Private sector Eid holidays confirmed by UAE government. The issue of whether public and private sector holidays should be the same fires up debate in the UAE on school holidays for Eid every year.

by Jon WestleyApril 8, 2024

Parents have expressed their delight with the news that the UAE Moon Sighting Committee has announced that Wednesday, April 10 will be the first day of Eid Al Fitr and that Tuesday, April 9 is the last day of Ramadan. The decision was made because the crescent moon, the start of a new month, was not seen on Monday evening (08 April 2024).

The news has calmed worries from families where one parent works in the private sector and one in the public sector, as well as families where both parents work in the private sector – there had been concerns over child care given that schools across the Emirates are closed on Friday.

The statement explains:

“Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Committee, said that the committee, after exhausting the sharia methods of sighting the crescent and making the necessary contacts with neighbouring countries, could not sight the Shawwal month crescent on Monday evening, and therefore declares that Tuesday, 9th April, is the last day of Ramadan 1445 AH, and that Wednesday, 10th April, is the first day of Eid Al Fitr.”

The 2024 Eid Al Fitr Dates for Public and Private Sector

Day	Islamic calendar date	Gregorian calendar date	UAE Private holiday?	UAE Public holiday?	Schools closed?
Monday	29^th Ramadan	8^th April	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tuesday	30^th Ramadan	9^th April	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wednesday	1^st Shawwal*	10^th April	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thursday	2^nd Shawwal	11^th April	Yes	Yes	Yes
Friday	3^rd Shawwal	12^th April	Yes	Yes	Yes

Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Committee, and members of the committee, expressed warm congratulations following the announcement to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates; and the Crown Princes.

Finally, The Committee congratulated the UAE people and Muslims across the world on the auspicious occasion.

Equalising Holidays for the Public and Private Sectors

The private sector has been waiting with baited breath to see if this year they will be awarded the full 9 days of holiday awarded to the public sector for Eid al-Fitr.

Historically public sector workers, in some cases, were awarded more holidays than their private sector counterparts, but in 2019 – 2020, recognising the unfairness, the UAE Cabinet for the first time issued a decree that both sectors should receive an identical number of public holidays. In 2019 – 20, The UAE Cabinet argued that change was needed for both “balance” and to power up the UAE economy.

“The decision [to equalise holidays between the public and private sectors] aims at achieving a balance between the two sectors and supporting the national economy.”

The decision this year sees the tradition of maintaining equality between public holidays for all workers continue.

The arguments for private and public sector holidays being equalised include:

People are people, families are families, children are children – we should all be treated the same.
Eid is a time for generosity – if there is any time of the year for equality of holidays and time to celebrate, this is it.
Eid is so important. It is a time when all of us, whether we are Moslem, or non-Moslem, whether we work in the private, or the public, sectors, should take this holiday to be kind to others, be charitable and forgive.
Some families can end up being divided, with some working in the private sector, and others in the public sector. This causes confusion.
By equalising holidays, all employers, and schools, can plan effectively.
Holidays have a powerful and positive impact on the UAE economy – each day adds to GDP and the wellbeing of all who live in the UAE and visit.
Eid and other public holidays are about UAE quality of life and giving families the chance to make memories together that are beyond price.
Holidays improve productivity.

The arguments against equalising holidays tend to focus on the cost to the private sector and their bottom line profit- and this is particularly true for UAE businesses that operate internationally. Where holidays are long, the costs are higher, it is claimed by some private sector businesses.

Eid Al Fitr Holidays for Schools and Families

Eid Al Fitr School Holidays Famous Dubai Fireworks

Fireworks during Eid Al Fitr in Dubai are famous throughout the world. Free displays take place at locations including Bluewaters Island, Dubai Parks and Resorts, Global Village, and Jumeirah Beach.

The decision confirms the prediction of Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society. He had stated that:

“Islamic consensus is expected that the first day of the month of Shawwal and Eid Al Fitr shall be on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

“The birth of Shawwal crescent will coincide with the occurrence of a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024; its birth before midnight will mean that it can be seen after sunset the next day in most parts of the Islamic world.”

Holidays are Planned – So Parents Should not Worry

With lengthy school holidays and public holidays often not being announced until the last minute, it is common for parents to wonder when do their children actually do school work?! But parents do not need to worry according to top schools.

Schools are aware of the need to remain agile, and allow for this in their timetable plotting at the beginning of the year, says Simon Herbert, Head of School/CEO, GEMS International School – Al Khail:

“We are well used to being agile around holidays and our Government Relations Executives work hard to keep us informed. There are certain days which remain flexible, and we give as much warning of any changes as possible.”

The advance planning means there is no need for students to miss out on any learning, Mr Herbert continues:

“The IB stipulates a number of hours that must be covered, according to the programmes, so we simply align this with our school schedules and yearly calendars. “We have calendar and events meetings, and the curriculum coverage is paramount and well planned in advance.”

Michael Davies, Head of Secondary at Safa Community School (SCS), agrees that careful forward planning means that even last-minute holiday announcements do not come as a surprise:

“Ramadan and the Eid break will lead to reduced school timings and an additional week break attached to our spring holiday this year. At SCS, across all Key Stages, lesson planning and schemes of work have already been adapted in advance to ensure no disruption to learning. However, with the importance of term three and the assessments that will take place both internally and externally, we will carefully plan for optional spring break materials to ensure our students are not disadvantaged by the additional holiday time.”

Mr Davies says that Safa Community School has crafted bespoke homework for students, to ensure learning remains seamless even over the holidays:

“Our Academic teams have developed Spring Break Packs containing some compulsory aspects from our core subjects using our online learning platform, Education Perfect. This work will target the preparation for our GL Progress Tests. In addition, there will be optional non-core subject context for students to complete. Additional resources are also available via our extensive Google Classroom platform from teachers and provide opportunities to create new revision resources ahead of the new term.

“To further support students’ reading skills and their GL NGRT progress, we are asking that students visit the library before the holidays and select a book to read; it is suggested that 30 minutes of reading each day is sufficient; some will no doubt read much more, the English department will support this process.”

For exam-stage pupils, the Spring holiday can be a crucial revision period, says Mr Davies:

“During the Spring Break holiday, we will open our doors and encourage our exam students to undertake our live lessons on-site. Staff will be timetabled to offer support and tailored revision sessions during the break.

“However, this is the norm at SCS, where in the months leading up to GCSE and A level exams, we offer ‘Saturday School’. Over 90% of our exam cohorts attend from 9 am to 11 am on a Saturday morning to access free revision sessions from their specialist exam teachers. We have been running this scheme for the past five years, and it has been instrumental in our exam success. This support continues even when our exam students have finished their courses and begin their study leave. Teaching staff will always be available for face-to-face support, revision and intervention sessions to support out-of-hours learning. This will allow them to access bespoke and individualised support in the lead-up to and during exam periods. Our dedicated and committed staff will always be available by email and during school hours to support learning. Furthermore, our pastoral, counsellor and senior staff operate with an open-door policy to support families and students.”

However, it is also of course important that all students also take the tie to rest over the Spring Break, concludes Mr Davies:

“AT SCS, all primary and secondary school students have access to the well-being platform Komodo, and its data suggests our students need to rest more, particularly in the evenings. The holiday period will provide a great chance to recharge the batteries and stay active. Students too have access to our PE YouTube channel, which contains a wealth of fitness and movement challenges.

“It goes without saying that whilst we want all our students to have a break during the holiday time, spend time with their family and friends, and travel, it is also essential to continue the momentum that has been built. A three-week absence without structured work can significantly impact the attainment and progress of any student, which is why we encourage all our students to engage with the work that their teachers will set for them but in a balanced manner. The teaching staff and pastoral teams will discuss with our students how best to find such a balance so they can enjoy a well-earned break and keep on top of their studies during the holiday period.”