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The UAE public holiday law designates December 2 and 3 as official days off for Eid Al Etihad, which falls on a Wednesday and Thursday in 2026, according to the federal government’s platform u.ae. A Time Out Dubai article from September 16 reported that the midweek timing could prompt the Cabinet to transfer part of the holiday to create an extended break for residents across Dubai and the wider country. The legislation approved in 2024 permits such shifts for most fixed holidays to avoid interrupting the working week without adding meaningful time off.
Time Out Dubai noted that individual emirates retain the ability to declare extra public holidays beyond the federal schedule should they choose to incorporate Friday, December 4. Such a move would combine with the standard Saturday and Sunday weekend to deliver five consecutive days off from Wednesday through Sunday. The publication added that no final decision on any transfer had been announced by early October 2026.
The UAE government’s official platform u.ae states that Eid Al Etihad marks the unification of the seven emirates on December 2, 1971. In 2026 the occasion will represent the 55th anniversary of the federation, with typical celebrations in Dubai featuring cultural events, fireworks displays and public gatherings. The platform lists the two-day observance as applying equally to employees in both the public and private sectors.
According to the same Time Out Dubai coverage, the 2024 public holiday resolution allows the Cabinet to move transferable dates to the start or end of the week in cases like this one. The law excludes certain Eid observances from transfer provisions but treats National Day as eligible for adjustment. Earlier implementations of the framework have produced four-day or longer weekends in comparable situations.
Dubai government departments and private businesses in the emirate generally follow the federal calendar unless local officials issue supplementary declarations, a point underlined in the Time Out Dubai review of the 2026 schedule. The publication highlighted that the country’s weekend has been fixed on Saturday and Sunday since 2022, increasing the impact of any additional Friday holiday. Schools and many workplaces would therefore see the benefit of an extended period around the national celebrations.
A separate Time Out Dubai compilation published on September 18 placed Eid Al Etihad as the final public holiday of 2026, following New Year’s Day on January 1, Eid Al Fitr in March, Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha in May, the Hijri New Year in June and the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday in August. The outlet’s assessment indicated that the UAE provides at least 12 days off annually under the current law, with the exact total depending on the length of Ramadan. Authorities typically issue specific implementation details closer to December.
