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19 March 2024

5-day holiday likely for UAE

Published
By Mohammed El Sadafy

Employees of UAE Federal Ministries and government departments could enjoy a five-day holiday break, including the weekend, for the 44th National Day in December.

The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan had earlier issued a decree declaring November 30 as Martyr’s Day.

Thus, government employees will get holidays beginning Monday, November 30 until Wednesday, December 2 [National Day].

Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

Considering that Article 100 of the Council of Ministers Act No. 13 of 2012 stipulates that any official holiday that falls in between two working days can be moved to either the beginning or the end of the week, holidays for government employees could commence from Tuesday, December 1 until Saturday, December 5.

Private sector

Meanwhile, private sector employees in the UAE are looking at two days holiday, with Martyr’s Day and National Day.

The private sector could get one day holiday on Monday, November 30. Then one day off for National Day, December 2.

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Private sector holidays could all be bunched together, however, starting on Wednesday December 2, and then with the weekend, becoming a four-day break.

Schools in the UAE are shut for two days for National Day, coinciding with public sector holidays

Read: List of UAE public and private sector holidays in 2015

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While, officially, Article 47 of the Federal Law No. 8 of 1997 on Labour Relations stipulates one day holiday for National Day, private sector employees in the UAE have enjoyed a two-day National Day break in the recent past, and this may be the case this year as well.