In honor of Eid Al Fitr, private sector workers in the United Arab Emirates will have paid time off from Sunday, March 30 to Tuesday, April 1. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (Mohre) declared late Tuesday, March 18, that all workers in the sector nationwide are entitled to this holiday.
The ministry also stated that the holiday will be extended to Wednesday, April 2, if the holy month of Ramadan ends on the thirty-first day. The Shawwal Moon sighting will therefore determine how long the break lasts, possibly giving workers a four- or five-day weekend. Depending on when the Moon is visible, Islamic months run either 29 or 30 days.
On March 29, the UAE's Moon Sighting Committee will start tracking the crescent. According to the Gregorian calendar, Eid holidays will fall on March 30, 31, and April 1 if the crescent is visible that evening. This means there will be a four-day break from Saturday to Tuesday.
In the event that the Moon cannot be seen and Ramadan lasts 30 days, Shawwal will begin on March 31. Eid holidays will be held in this instance on March 31, April 1, and April 2, allowing residents to have a longer five-day vacation, which includes the weekend (Saturday through Wednesday).
Ramadan is expected to last 30 days, based on astronomical estimates made by the Dubai Astronomy Group. Accordingly, inhabitants are anticipated to have five days off for Eid Al Fitr.
