UAE Public Holidays 2026: Remaining Dates, Leave Rules and Eid Al Etihad

What public holidays remain in the UAE in 2026?

As of 8 September 2026, the UAE's published nationwide holiday calendar has one occasion remaining: Eid Al Etihad, also widely searched as UAE National Day, on 2 and 3 December. The dates apply to the public and private sectors under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024.

In 2026, 2 December falls on a Wednesday and 3 December falls on a Thursday. That is the legal calendar position at the time of writing. It is not automatically a five-day weekend, because Friday 4 December is normally a working day for people on a Monday-to-Friday schedule.

The Cabinet may move non-Eid public holidays to the beginning or end of a week through a separate resolution. Until an official 2026 announcement says otherwise, residents and employers should plan around 2 and 3 December rather than treating a transferred date as confirmed.

| Planning point | Confirmed position on 8 September 2026 |
| --- | --- |
| Remaining nationwide occasion | Eid Al Etihad / UAE National Day |
| Holiday dates in the standing resolution | 2 and 3 December |
| Days of the week in 2026 | Wednesday and Thursday |
| Public and private sectors | Both are covered |
| Automatic long weekend | No |
| Could the dates be transferred? | The Cabinet can transfer eligible non-Eid holidays by a separate resolution |
| Is a 2026 transfer confirmed? | No official transfer announcement was identified when checked |

Why the official resolution matters

Search results and social posts often mix three different things: the holiday dates written into law, predictions based on the calendar, and later operational announcements for a particular sector. They are not interchangeable.

Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 is the starting point. It lists the public holidays for both government and private-sector employees and has been in force since 1 January 2025. It assigns two days to National Day, from 2 to 3 December.

The same resolution gives the Cabinet authority to move a non-Eid holiday to the beginning or end of a week. A move is therefore possible, but it is not automatic. The resolution also says a holiday cannot be transferred when it coincides with another public holiday or falls on the weekend.

This is why an article written months in advance should not promise a long weekend. A later Cabinet, FAHR or Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation notice may confirm how the holiday will operate for federal-government or private-sector employees. That dated announcement should take priority over predictions.

Is Eid Al Etihad the same as UAE National Day?

Yes. Eid Al Etihad is the official name used for the national celebration that marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates. Many residents still search for “UAE National Day holiday,” so both names refer to the same December occasion in this guide.

The UAE was founded on 2 December 1971. The public-holiday framework provides two days, 2 and 3 December, for the national occasion. Celebrations, fireworks, road arrangements and venue programmes are separate from the employment holiday itself and are usually announced closer to December.

Do not assume that an event schedule proves an employment holiday date. For leave planning, use the official government holiday notice. For an event, use the organiser's current page and check whether entry, registration or tickets are required.

Will the December holiday create a long weekend?

On the standing 2026 calendar, Wednesday 2 December and Thursday 3 December are holidays. For an employee whose weekend is Saturday and Sunday, Friday sits between the holiday and the weekend.

That creates three realistic planning scenarios:

- If the legal dates remain unchanged and you work Monday to Friday, you return on Friday unless your employer closes or you take approved annual leave.
- If you receive approved annual leave for Friday 4 December, you could have five consecutive days away from work from Wednesday through Sunday.
- If the Cabinet later transfers an eligible holiday, follow the exact dates stated in the official announcement rather than an earlier calendar graphic.

Shift workers, hospitality teams, retail staff, transport workers and other essential or continuous-operation roles may have different rosters. A public holiday does not always mean every workplace closes. Employees should confirm their assigned schedule and compensation arrangements with their employer.

Public-holiday pay and working on the holiday

The UAE Labour Relations Law gives private-sector workers official leave with full pay on public holidays set by Cabinet resolution. It also provides a compensation framework when work circumstances require an employee to work on an official holiday.

The practical step is to ask the employer in writing how the day will be recorded: as paid public-holiday leave, a replacement rest day, or holiday work under the applicable pay arrangement. Keep the approved roster, HR message and payslip if a later question arises.

Individual circumstances can differ by employment category, contract and applicable regulation. Domestic workers and some public-sector employees are governed by separate frameworks. This guide is general planning information, not a substitute for advice on a specific employment dispute.

How annual leave interacts with the holiday

Public holidays and annual leave are different entitlements. Do not book a longer trip on the assumption that a bridge day is automatically granted.

If Friday 4 December is a normal workday for you, request it through the employer's usual annual-leave process. Approval may depend on staffing, peak-season restrictions and existing requests. A calendar invitation, verbal conversation or travel booking is not the same as approved leave.

Check how your employer's system counts a public holiday that falls inside a longer annual-leave period. The answer should follow the applicable law and company policy, but employees should confirm how the HR platform will display the days before submitting a long request.

Planning travel around the December break

December is a popular travel period in the UAE. Airfares, hotels and road traffic can change quickly around a public holiday, but this article does not estimate prices or recommend booking before dates are operationally confirmed.

Use a flexible workflow:

1. Hold the legal dates of 2 and 3 December in your calendar.
2. Wait for the official sector announcement if your plan depends on a possible transfer.
3. Obtain written leave approval for any additional working day.
4. Check the ticket's change and cancellation rules before payment.
5. Reconfirm passport validity, visa requirements and travel insurance for the destination.
6. Check airline and airport notices shortly before departure.

Families should also compare the holiday with the school's own approved academic calendar. A nationwide public holiday does not turn every adjacent school day into a break. The school's communication is the correct source for attendance, transport and activity changes.

UAE-specific considerations for businesses

Businesses should separate the statutory holiday from their operational plan. A company may close, run a reduced team, operate normal customer hours with a roster, or maintain only emergency coverage depending on its sector.

Before December, confirm:

- which roles must remain on duty;
- how holiday work will be recorded and compensated;
- whether customer-facing hours will change;
- who can approve urgent payments or service requests;
- whether deliveries, banks, government services or suppliers will operate on reduced schedules;
- how international clients will be told about response times; and
- whether payroll and month-end deadlines need to move earlier.

Publish customer notices only after internal staffing is agreed. State the exact date and time zone, especially when communicating with overseas customers. Avoid describing a closure as a “four-day weekend” unless that is genuinely the schedule your organisation has approved.

Where to check for the final announcement

Use the UAE Government's public-holidays page and the UAE Legislation portal for the standing rules. Closer to the occasion, look for dated notices from the authority relevant to your sector.

FAHR is the key source for federal-government employee announcements. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is the appropriate source for private-sector holiday notices. Local government entities may issue notices for their own departments and corporations, while schools and employers should communicate their operational arrangements directly.

Screenshots can remain online after a date changes. Open the original government page, check the publication date and make sure the notice refers to 2026 before acting on it.

Bottom line

The UAE's standing public-holiday resolution lists 2 and 3 December 2026 for Eid Al Etihad, covering both public and private sectors. Those dates fall on Wednesday and Thursday. No automatic long weekend should be assumed, and any later transfer must be confirmed through an official resolution or dated government notice.

Plan around the legal dates, request any bridge-day annual leave early, and keep bookings flexible until your employer and the relevant authority confirm the final operating schedule.