Geo Countries
United Arab Emirates national flag - official symbol of Asia

Current Date And Time In United Arab Emirates

Wednesday, 09 September 2026
14:25:54 GST
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham (AED)
Timezone: UTC +04:00 (GST)
Population: 11,056,873

🎉 United Arab Emirates - Public Holidays


Checking which days are official holidays in United Arab Emirates? The live calendar below covers recently observed dates and everything coming up. United Arab Emirates observes 2 official public holidays mandated by national law (including Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day), UAE National Day). Not every holiday lands on the same date annually — fixed-date national days repeat exactly, while Easter-based, Islamic-calendar or lunar observances move each year, which the calendar reflects with each year's specific date rather than guessing a repeat. Jump straight to the live calendar below, or read on for how the dates are worked out.

Why This Matters: Public holidays in United Arab Emirates directly affect banking hours, courier deliveries and retail operations. This calendar is a standard reference point for market research teams tracking regional business cycles working with partners, offices or operations in United Arab Emirates.

Quick Links: United Arab Emirates Overview | Map | Currency | Travel Info | Nearby Countries | Statutory Holidays | How Holidays Work | States & Regional

📅 Live Holiday Calendar — United Arab Emirates

Live public holiday calendar for United Arab Emirates, embedded directly from Google's official public calendar — always shows Google's current data.

◀ Showing upcoming holidays — use the back arrow in the calendar's toolbar to see earlier dates this year.

ℹ Calendar supplied and maintained by Google. See the full travel profile for emergency numbers, electrical standards and more.

🏛️ Official Statutory National Holidays — United Arab Emirates

Statutory public holidays mandated by national government law in United Arab Emirates. These fixed dates reflect official non-working days. For dynamic, movable religious observances (e.g., Eid, Easter), refer to the live calendar embed above.

Holiday NameDate / ObservanceCategory / TypeClosure ImpactOfficial Source
Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day)
Honours Emirati martyrs who sacrificed their lives in civil and military service.
November 30National ObservanceFull Federal & Corporate Closureu.ae →
UAE National Day
Commemorates the formal unification of the seven Emirates in 1971.
December 2National DayFull Public & Private Sector Closure (Multi-day Statutory Holiday)u.ae →

🧳 Upcoming Long Weekends in United Arab Emirates

Statutory holidays landing on a Monday, Friday, Tuesday or Thursday create a long-weekend opportunity — here's what's coming up.

HolidayDateOpportunity
Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day)Mon, Nov 30, 2026Automatic 3-day weekend

📖 How Public Holidays Work in United Arab Emirates

Public holidays generally split into two kinds: fixed-date ones that land on the same calendar day every year — a founding or independence anniversary, for instance — and movable ones whose date shifts annually because they follow a different calendar system entirely. United Arab Emirates's calendar can include holidays governed by the Easter computus that many Christian-majority countries use, the Hijri lunar calendar behind Islamic observances such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, or a lunisolar cycle behind holidays like Lunar New Year. United Arab Emirates, like much of Asia, likely carries at least one holiday from each category on its calendar — one reason the list above shows a specific date per year instead of a single recurring one.

Under United Arab Emirates's labor law, fixed-date national public holidays carry mandatory non-working status for public administration, financial institutions, and commercial enterprises — 2 such holidays are documented for United Arab Emirates in the table above, all individually cross-checked against independent corroborating sources, including Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day) on November 30. Official gazette announcements are published by government authorities to confirm these mandated closures.

It's also worth distinguishing a public holiday from an observance. A public holiday is a government-mandated day off — offices, banks and schools close. An observance marks something culturally or religiously significant without requiring anyone to close for it. This page tracks public holidays only, since those are the dates that actually change a day's schedule.

United Arab Emirates is also divided into states and provinces, and countries structured this way often layer a regional founding day, a local patron festival or a province-specific holiday on top of the national calendar — observed in one state but not nationwide. The calendar above covers United Arab Emirates's national holidays; see the United Arab Emirates states & provinces directory for population and government data on each one.

Frequently Asked Questions — United Arab Emirates Public Holidays

What are public holidays in United Arab Emirates?

Public holidays in United Arab Emirates are nationwide days off recognised by the government, when most banks, schools and government offices close and many businesses adjust their hours. They mark historical, cultural, religious or civic occasions and are a standard reference point for market research teams tracking regional business cycles working with United Arab Emirates.


How many public holidays does United Arab Emirates observe each year?

2 fixed-date public holidays are documented for United Arab Emirates in the table above, on top of movable observances shown in the live calendar. The exact total varies year to year — some holidays fall on a fixed date, while Easter-based, Islamic-calendar or other lunar observances shift annually, and some are added by regional decree. See the live calendar above for the current list of upcoming and recently observed dates.


What is the official government source for United Arab Emirates's fixed-date public holidays?

Official public holidays in United Arab Emirates are enacted by national acts of parliament and published via u.ae. These non-working days carry legal status for banking, public administration, and employment compliance.


What does Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day) commemorate in United Arab Emirates?

Honours Emirati martyrs who sacrificed their lives in civil and military service. It falls on November 30 and carries official non-working status in United Arab Emirates — see the statutory holidays table above for its closure impact and official source.


Where does the live holiday calendar for United Arab Emirates come from, and is it accurate?

It's Google's own official "United Arab Emirates" holiday calendar, embedded directly via Google's public calendar integration — Google serves the data straight to your browser in real time, and we don't store, edit or republish any of it ourselves. For the smaller set of fixed-date national holidays we've individually fact-checked, see the statutory holidays table above instead.


Do United Arab Emirates's public holidays fall on the same date every year?

Some do and some don't. Fixed-date holidays repeat on the same calendar day annually, while others follow the Easter calculation, the Islamic lunar calendar, or an "nth weekday of the month" rule — so their date moves from year to year. See how public holidays work above for the full explanation of why, or check the calendar itself for each year's actual date.


What happens when a fixed public holiday falls on a weekend in United Arab Emirates?

When a fixed public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, many governments designate the following Monday as an official substitute non-working day (often termed an 'observed holiday'). Check United Arab Emirates's official gazette announcements or the live calendar embed for specific year-by-year substitute day designations.


How can I plan a long weekend around public holidays in United Arab Emirates?

The live calendar above shows the day of the week next to each date — that's what you need. A holiday landing on a Monday or Friday already gives United Arab Emirates a natural three-day weekend; one on a Tuesday or Thursday can often be stretched into four days by taking the single working day in between as leave, sometimes called a "bridge day". Once you've spotted a good date, the United Arab Emirates travel guide covers the practical details for planning around it.


Does United Arab Emirates have regional or state-specific holidays too?

Many countries observe additional regional, state or provincial holidays alongside national ones. United Arab Emirates is divided into states and provinces — see the United Arab Emirates states & provinces directory for region-specific pages with more local detail.


Why are some major cultural holidays listed in the live calendar but not in the official holidays table?

The official holidays table above lists fixed-date national public holidays mandated by law. Dynamic, movable observances (such as Eid or Easter) shift calendar dates annually based on lunar or religious computations — those dates are updated continuously in the live Google Calendar embed below.

🗓️ Holiday Fast Facts
Public Holidays: 2 Days
Flagship National Day:
Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day) (November 30)
📊 Quick Facts
👥 Population Rank#86 of 249
📏 Area World Rank#117
🏙️ Population Density132.3 / km²
🕒 Business Hours & Time Zone
Time Zone: +04:00
Bank Holiday Closures: Full closure on official holidays
✈️ Traveler Planning Essentials
Emergency Number: 999
Driving Side: Right side
🌐 Public Holidays Nearby