4-day holiday in UAE: Travel deals start from Dh1,999 as residents make Eid plans
Residents in the UAE will get a four-day weekend for Eid Al Adha next month, irrespective of when the moon is sighted. Now that the probable dates for the Islamic holiday have become more clear, many are flocking to book holidays and short trips.
'Ever since Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait announced their holidays, the probable dates for Eid holidays have become clearer to UAE residents,' said Safeer Mohammed of Smart Travel. 'Since then, we have received a lot of enquiries and bookings. Most of the travel is gravitating towards visa-free places like CIS countries.'
Last week, Qatar announced a five-day break for Eid Al Adha, beginning on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, also known as Arafah Day — the holiest day in Islam.
Sold out packages
Many travel agents are seeing high demand for their Eid packages. Mohamed Kasim from Akbar Travels said that almost all their tours are now sold out. 'Some of the most popular destinations apart from CIS countries are Kenya and Egypt,' he said. 'In Kenya, a lot of people are traveling to see the Maasai Mara National Reserve."
According to Kunaal Nanik from Marcopolo Holidays, he is seeing a 'clear shift' in the trend for Eid holidays. 'People are planning earlier and are better prepared, with a strong preference for longer trips."
'With Eid falling during summer, Europe continues to be a top choice — especially among travellers who applied early for Schengen visas, showing greater awareness of limited appointment availability. We're also seeing increased interest in the Balkans, where visa-on-arrival access is possible for those holding long-term multiple-entry US, UK, or Schengen visas.'
Safeer added that many of their travellers preferred shorter trips lasting four nights and five days for Eid with prices being a major factor of consideration. 'For leisure travel, the most popular package we have seen is our trip to Baku which sold for Dh1,999,' he said. 'We had trips to Tashkent for Dh2,100 and a joint travel to Armenia and Georgia for Dh2,599.'
Holidays in the UAE
This year, Tuesday, May 27, will correspond to 29 Dhul Qadah. If the crescent moon is sighted on Tuesday evening, then May 28 will be Dhul Hijjah 1. This means, Eid would fall on Friday, June 6.
If the crescent moon is not sighted on Tuesday, then Thursday, May 29, will be Dhul Hijjah 1. This means Eid would fall on Saturday, June 7. On Sunday, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia called on all its residents to observe the sky for the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah on the evening of Tuesday.
According to a UAE Cabinet resolution, the Eid Al Adha holidays last from 9 to 12 Dhul Hijjah — which is the day of Arafah and first three days of Eid Al Adha. On Sunday, an expert from the International Astronomical Centre (IAC), said the crescent for Dhul Hijjah is expected to be sighted on May 27.
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