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BREAKING: Eid Holidays in UAE Confirmed! UAE schools in Public and Private Sector to get up to five days off

by Tabitha BardaApril 13, 2023

The Eid Al Fitr Holiday for the public sector will start on Thursday 20 April 2023, according to an announcement from UAE authorities today, with the likely dates meaning either four or five days off school for UAE children, until either Sunday 23 April or Monday 24 April inclusive. Will Monday be off for UAE schools? Find out in our live, updating story: ‘UAE Holidays Moon Sightings Explained: Will Monday be off for UAE school children?”.

The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources today announced that the Eid al-Fitr holiday for federal entities in the UAE will begin on 29th Ramadan 1444 in the Islamic calendar (which equates to 20 April 2023 in the Gregorian calendar) until 3rd Shawwal 1444.

#EidalFitr holiday for federal government begins 29th Ramadan until 3rd Shawwal #WamNews pic.twitter.com/LSTqH2QwGF

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) April 13, 2023

The same holidays have now been confirmed for UAE private sector workers, with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation announcing that all private sectors will also have paid holiday leave between 29 Ramadan until 3 Shawwal.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has announced that Ramadan 29-Shawwal 3, 1444H will be a paid holiday for all employees in the private sector across the UAE, on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr. pic.twitter.com/j02QiObrb2

— وزارة الموارد البشرية والتوطين (@MOHRE_UAE) April 13, 2023

However, whether this results in four or five days of paid leave will depend on the moon sighting, which will determine whether the month of Ramadan lasts for 29 or 30 days.

Shawwal 3 will fall on Sunday, April 23 if Ramadan lasts for 29 days and on Monday, April 24 if the holy month is 30 days. The length of the Islamic month of Ramadan will depend on when the new crescent moon is sighted by the official moon sighting committee.

Either way these announcements means a long weekend for UAE families, with the public holiday running for at least four days from Thursday to Sunday inclusive, with the possibility of an extra public holiday day off on Monday 24 April in the Gregorian calendar if Ramadan lasts for 30 days.

What does this mean for school holidays?

Following these official government announcements, UAE public and private schools will close on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 April next week, although the education authorities have not confirmed this as yet.

School fees in Dubai. The cost of an education in Dubai. All schools listed.

Depending on the moon sighting, schools could also be off on Monday 24 April too.

When is Eid Al Adha?

According to astronomical calculcations, Eid Al Adha, the first day of the Islamic month Dhul Hijjah, should be on Monday, June 19, 2023.

This would mean that the Eid Al Adha holiday will likely be on Wednesday, June 28.

Arafat Day (which is one day before Eid) will, if everything follows the current moon sightings data, be on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

Based on this, the second Eid holidays, those for Eid Al Adha holiday, assuming all goes to plan with the current moon sightings, will be from Tuesday, June 27, 2023 until Friday, June 30, 2023, making a whopping six days off when you count the weekend.

These dates, however, will again need to be finally confirmed by the Moon-sighting committee.

The science behind the final calculation is complex and based on the lunar Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar has only either 354, or 355, days, rather than the 365 days of the Gregorian calendar. As a result, both Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr fall up to 10 days earlier each year.

UAE Holidays 2023

April 20 to 23: Eid Al Fitr
June 27: Arafat Day
June 28 to 30: Eid Al Adha
July 21: Islamic New Year
September 29: Prophet Mohammed’s birthday (PBUH)
December 2 and 3: UAE National Day

Further information

You can visit the Emirates Astronomical Society here.

Visit the private Emirates Astronomical Observatory for news on Moon sightings and key developments here.

GEMS World Academy in Dubai is the only School in the UAE to have its own Planetarium to even better understand the wonders of the Moon. You can find out more here.

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