08-05-2025
Eid Al Adha 2025: Get a 9-day holiday with 3 days annual leave
Eid Al Ada is coming sooner than you think, and we're set for a bumper break to celebrate it.
Now that Dhu Al Qa'dah has begun, you're already running out of time to book any annual leave to maximise those days off.
While the exact dates of the holiday won't be confirmed until we know when Dhu Al Hijjah begins, we have a clear indication of when Eid Al Adha should begin.
The four-day holiday, which starts with Arafat Day, runs from Dhu Al Hijjah 9 until Dhu Al Hijjah 12. In 2025, the break should start on either Thursday June 5 or Friday June 6, according to current predictions.
When exactly this holiday begins depends on moon sightings and the Islamic Hijri calendar, which will determine whether Ramadan is a 29-day or 30-day month.
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If Dhu Al Hijjah begins on Wednesday May 28, then the Eid Al Adha break would begin on Thursday June 5.
This would mean that we would have Thursday June 5, Friday June 6, Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8 as public holidays. And this would mean a four-day weekend.
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In this case, you would need to book three days off work to turn Eid Al Adha into a nine-day holiday. You would need to book Monday June 2, Tuesday June 3 and Wednesday June 4 off to make the most of the break. When combined with the previous weekend, this is a nine-day holiday.
If Dhu Al Hijjah begins on Thursday May 29, then the Eid Al Adha break would begin on Friday June 6.
This would mean that we would have Friday June 6, Saturday June 7, Sunday June 8 and Monday June 9 as public holidays. And this would also mean a four-day weekend.
In this case, you would need to book four days off work to turn Eid Al Adha into a 10-day holiday. You would need to book Monday June 2, Tuesday June 3, Wednesday June 4 and Thursday June 5 off to make the most of the break. When combined with the previous weekend, this is a 10-day holiday.
Sandwich leave in Dubai
(Credit: Canva)
Some companies in the UAE will give you an annual leave day back if your day off ends up coinciding with a public holiday date, but this is not the case across the board. Check your employment contract to see if this applies to you.
You should also check with your employer regarding their policy on what is known as 'sandwich leave' – annual leave days booked on either side of a public holiday.
It is possible that your employer could count your booked annual leave and the public holiday as annual leave if you don't check with them ahead of time. For example, if you book three days off ahead of a Thursday and Friday public holiday, then all five days could count towards your annual leave allowance with some employers. So, make sure to check in advance whether or not this would apply to your holiday.
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