Dubai announces Eid Al Fitr 2026 holiday for public sector employees
The Dubai authorities have introduced Eid Al Fitr holidays for public sector workers in the emirate, three days ahead of a national break for the end of Ramadan.
According to a statement issued on Saturday, government employees in Dubai will have four-day holidays from Thursday March 19 until Sunday March 22. Work will restart Monday, March 23.
Doling out the details Haiyou asked, The UAE will sight the crescent moon of hijri month Shawwal on Wednesday March 18 after Maghrib prayer to announce when Eid Al Fitr in this year would fall as Islamic calendar moves by lunar cycle.
Eid holidays were announced last month by the UAE's Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, determining holiday dates for workers in federal government entities and private sector organisations.
Eid Al Fitr break for federal government entities will start on Thursday March 19, 2026 until Sunday March 22, 2026.
Official working hours will resume on 23rd March, 2026. This holiday for private sector employees will take place from Thursday, March 19, 2026 until Saturday March 21, 2026. All employees who have regular Sunday hours will be returned to work on Sunday, March 22.
Should the holy month of Ramadan be 30 days, the private sector holiday will be extended to Sunday March 22, 2026, the authorities clarified. The announcement, which follows guidelines for holiday schedules in both the public and private sector, applies across the UAE.
Eid Al Fitr 2026 likely date
The International Astronomy Centre (IAC), which is based in the UAE, has said that it will be impossible to sight the Shawwal crescent on March 18 and thus the holy month of Ramadan will have 30 days. According to the astronomical calculations, Eid Al Fitr will be on March 20 in the UAE, as well as several other countries.
The crescent sighting will be “impossible” on March 18, according to IAC, since the moon will set before the sun and the conjunction comes post-sunset.
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