The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has declared Friday, June 27, a public holiday to mark the Islamic New Year (Hijri New Year).
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation on Monday announced that Friday, June 27, 2025, will be an official paid holiday for private sector companies in the UAE on the occasion of the new Hijri year 1447 AH.
This follows an earlier announcement by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources confirming the same holiday for the public sector.
After the government announcement, there will be a three-day long weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), with work set to resume on Monday, June 30.
This holiday is part of the UAE Cabinet’s approved list of official holidays for 2025. As per Islamic tradition, the exact date of the Hijri New Year is confirmed by moon sighting, with the first day of Muharram marking the beginning of the new Islamic year.
The Hijri calendar follows the lunar cycle, and Muharram is considered one of the four sacred months in Islam. This holiday comes shortly after residents enjoyed a longer break during Eid-ul-Adha earlier this month.
