The next official public holiday in the UAE for 2024 are Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha. Arafat day, which falls on Dhul Hijjah 9, is expected to land on Sunday, June 16, according to local astronomers, although the exact date will be confirmed closer to the time base don the moon sighting. Eid Al Adha, the second and largest of the two Islamic holidays, follows from Dhul Hijjah 10 to 12, which will likely be from Monday, June 17 to Wednesday, June 19. As a result, those with weekends on Saturday and Sunday are treated to a five day break, with work resuming Thursday, June 20.
However, because the Islamic Calendar is dictated by the lunar months (which means that in order for them to take place, there has to be a particular moon sighting during a specific phase), an official confirmation will be announced closer to the time of said dates.
What is Eid Al Adha?
For the average ex-pat, many will have no idea what this holiday signifies in the Islamic calendar. Eid Al Adha is a holiday honouring Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son at God’s request. At the razor’s edge of this sacrifice, God intervened, and instead sent a sheep to replace his son.