The Holy Month of Ramadan is officially underway.
It was confirmed by the Emirates Astronomy Society that Ramadan would officially begin on March 11, 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. The Holy Month then consists of 29 to 30 days of fasting from sunrise to sunset for Muslims across the globe.
Eid Al Fitr dates in the UAE
Following the Holy Month, Eid Al Fitr, also known as the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’, marks the end of Ramadan. It is a time for families to come together to exchange heartfelt greetings and gifts and it marks a festive period in Islam.
The festive period of Eid Al Fitr will also be a public holiday in the UAE (and many other Arab nations), but exactly how long it will be remains to be confirmed as it is dependent on the sighting of the moon.
In the Islamic calendar, Eid Al Fitr falls on Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3. In line with the Gregorian calendar, Eid Al Fitr is likely to fall on April 10, a Wednesday. If so, private and public sector employees in the UAE could be looking at a nine-day break as Ramadan 29 will fall on Monday, April 8 and Shawwal 3 will fall on April 12 in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
If so, Eid Al Fitr would mark the longest public holiday and break of 2024 for those in the UAE, also taking into account the weekend days.
However, as always public holidays are confirmed by UAE officials, dependent upon the sighting of the moon.
2024 Public Holidays in the UAE
The next public holiday in the UAE after Eid Al Fitr will be Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha.
Subject to the sighting of the moon, Arafat Day is likely to fall on Saturday, June 15, 2024, with the following day, June 16, to mark the beginning of Eid Al Adha. It’s likely to be a four-day break for those in the UAE, returning to work on June 19, 2024.
This will then be followed by Islamic (Hijri) New Year, the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday and finally Commemoration and UAE National Day. You can see the full break down of the UAE public holidays in 2024 here.
