UAE National Day Holiday: Will It Be a Four-Day or Five-Day Break in 2025?

UAE residents eagerly await the final public holiday of 2025, with the much-anticipated UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) fast approaching. According to the official UAE Cabinet calendar, this will be the last long break of the year, but there is uncertainty around whether the holiday will extend to four or five days.

Under Cabinet Resolution No. (27) of 2024, Eid Al Etihad holidays are set for Tuesday, December 2 and Wednesday, December 3. However, there is a possibility that the public holiday dates could be adjusted in order to create a longer break.

One option is that Monday, December 1, could be declared a public holiday, thus extending the holiday into a five-day break by combining it with the weekend. Alternatively, it is more likely that the holiday on December 3 will be moved to Monday, resulting in a four-day break, aligning with the regular weekend of Saturday and Sunday.

Last year, the holiday ran from Monday, December 2 to Tuesday, December 3, 2024, with a resumption of work on Wednesday, December 4. This setup gave employees a four-day holiday.

The final decision regarding the official length of the UAE National Day holiday in 2025 will be made closer to the date, but the public is hoping for an extended break to close out the year.