Here's when the next UAE public holiday is happening and what it means for your weekend
After enjoying a three-day break for Islamic New Year, the question on everyone's mind is: when's the next public holiday? And most importantly, will we get another long weekend out of it?
Well, here's what we know so far.
The next public holiday in the UAE is expected to be the Prophet Muhammad's birthday (PBUH), which is celebrated during Rabi Al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. In 2025, Rabi Al-Awwal is set to begin around Sunday, August 24 or Monday, August 25, depending on the moon sighting.
That puts the Prophet's birthday likely on either Thursday, September 4 or Friday, September 5.
In either case, Dubai residents and the rest of the UAE can almost certainly expect a three-day long weekend, whether it lands Thursday to Saturday, or Friday through Sunday.
That's thanks to a new public holiday law introduced in early 2025, which gives the UAE Cabinet flexibility to move Islamic holidays to the start or end of the week to align with the workweek. This rule was already applied to Islamic New Year — so it's safe to expect a similar approach here.
While it's still a few months away, it might be a good time to start eyeing your next escape — especially as early September tends to offer great shoulder-season travel deals both within the UAE and abroad. Whether it's a staycation, a mountain drive, or a cheeky city break, it pays to plan ahead.
So yes, you've got a bit of a wait, but your next long weekend is officially on the horizon.
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