UAE National Day: 3-day Eid Al Etihad break announced for public sector

UAE employees can now begin to plan their last long weekend of the year, as the government has announced a three-day paid holiday for public sector on the occasion of the country’s 55th National Day.

December 2, 3 and 4 — Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday — have been declared a break by the government. Ministries and federal entities will resume regular working hours on Monday, December 7. This will make Eid Al Etihad a five-day break for employees who enjoy Saturday and Sunday as their usual weekend.

The Eid Al Etihad holidays usually fall on December 2 and 3. By adding December 4 to the official holiday list, the government has made this year’s last public holiday officially a long weekend. Employees will no longer have to use up an annual leave day on Friday to make it an extended break.

UAE passed a law in 2025 which makes some public holidays transferrable. This means that if they fall mid-week, they can be moved to the beginning or end of the week, so as to give residents a longer continuous break with the weekend.

Originally Published at Khaleejtimes.com