UAE New Year holiday confirmed for UAE government workers

New Year's Day will be an official paid holiday for all public sector employees in the country

New Year's Day falls on a Monday in 2024. Antonie Robertson / The National

New Year's Day has been confirmed as a public holiday for government workers in the UAE.

The Federal Government for Human Resources issued a circular on Thursday announcing paid leave on Monday, January 1 for the public sector.

The authority said work would resume on Tuesday, January 2, state news agency Wam reported.

"The authority congratulated the UAE's leadership and its people on this occasion," the statement said.

The January 1 public holiday is expected to be announced for private sector imminently.

The UAE Cabinet issued a decree in 2019 to ensure public and private sector employees were granted the same number of public holidays each year.

Holidays in 2024

The first public holiday of 2024 will be New Year's Day, followed by Eid Al Fitr, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan.

Some of the holidays are based on the Hijri Islamic calendar and their Gregorian dates will depend on the Moon-sighting.

It means these holidays will fall within a two-to-three-day window.

Eid Al Fitr could fall between Monday, April 8 and Thursday, April 11, and Arafat Day could fall on Saturday, June 15.

Eid Al Adha could fall on Sunday, June 16, with the holiday on either Monday, June 17 or Tuesday, June 18.

The Islamic New Year, meanwhile, could fall on Sunday, June 7.

The Prophet Mohammed's birthday could also fall on a Sunday, September 15.