UAE Public Holidays 2019 & 2020 (& School Holidays 2019)
2nd January 2019, updated 6th March 2019
To help with planning your business trips to Abu Dhabi and doing business in the UAE during 2019 please see below a list of the anticipated public holidays. This should be used as a guide only as Islamic holidays are subject to the sighting of the moon. It is common for the exact dates of the public holidays to be confirmed by the government approximately a week prior, so check the local media around the following dates for the confirmations.
School holidays for the upcoming academic year are also listed below for your convenience.
With effect from 5th March 2019, the UAE Cabinet has announced that moving forward, both public and private sector workers will be given the same public holidays. This is anticipated to encourage Emiratis to work in the private sector as previously private sector employees didn't receive as many public holidays as public sector workers.
Furthermore, the Cabinet has announced the public holidays for 2019 and 2020, which will make planning trips around these times much easier.
It seems that Isra’a Wal Mi'raj and the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (PBUH) are no longer being given as a public holiday as it has not been included in the list of dates.
Public Holidays 2019
New Year’s Day Tuesday 1st January (1 day)
Ramadan to commence* Monday 6th May
Eid Al Fitr Monday 5th June (6 days)
[29 Ramadan - 3 Shawwal]
Arafat Day & Eid Al Adha Saturday 10th August (3 Days)
[9-12 Dhu Al Hijjah]
Hijri New Year Sunday 1st September (1 day)
[1 Muharram]
Commemoration Day Sunday 1st December (1 day)
National Day Monday 2nd December (2 days)
Public Holidays 2020
New Year’s Day Tuesday 1st January (1 day)
Ramadan to commence* Thursday 23rd April
Eid Al Fitr Friday 22nd May (6 days)
[29 Ramadan - 3 Shawwal]
Arafat Day & Eid Al Adha Thursday 30th July (3 Days) [9-12 Dhu Al Hijjah]
Hijri New Year Sunday 23rd August (1 day) [1 Muharram]
Commemoration Day Tuesday 1st December (1 day)
National Day Wednesday 2nd December (2 days)
* Ramadan is not a Public Holiday, but a Holy month of prayer and fasting.
School Holidays 2018-2019
Term 1 begins 2nd September 2018 - 13th December 2018
Winter Holiday 16th December 2018 - 10th January 2019
Spring Holiday 31st March 2019 - 11th April 2019
Summer Holiday begins 7th July 2019
Please note the above school holidays apply to public and private schools which follow the Ministry of Education curriculum. Indian, Pakistani and Japanese schools have a different schedule following an academic year from April to March.
Written by Jenny Hunt,
Founding Partner & CEO Gateway Group of Companies, Abu Dhabi & Dubai UAE
Forbes Top 100 Most Influential Women in the Middle East
Gateway Group Of Companies
Award winning Gateway Group is the preferred choice for business setups, corporate local sponsor services and visa processing in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Recommended by the international law firms in the UAE. To establish your business in the UAE, email: Info@GatewayToUAE.com