The UAE government announced last week that Friday, August 28, will be a public holiday for both the public and private sectors this year.
The crescent moon marking the start of Rabi Al Awwal has been sighted in the UAE, confirming the end of Safar and setting the date for the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday, which is observed as a public holiday in the country.
With the sighting, August 14 marks the first day of Rabi Al Awwal. The Prophet’s Birthday, observed on Rabi Al Awwal 12, will fall on Tuesday, August 25, this year.
The Hijri (Islamic) calendar follows the lunar cycle, with months determined by the sighting of the new moon. Each month begins when the crescent is observed. On the 29th day of each month, the moon-sighting committee meets to look for the crescent and confirm the start of the next Islamic month.
Official holiday date in UAE
In the UAE, residents will get a one-day public holiday to mark the occasion.
Although Rabi Al Awwal 12 falls on a Tuesday, UAE employees will enjoy a three-day weekend under the country’s holiday transfer policy. Introduced in 2025, the policy allows most public holidays that fall on weekdays to be moved to the beginning or end of the week. Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha holidays are excluded from this arrangement.
The UAE government announced last week that Friday, August 28, 2026, will be a holiday for both public and private-sector employees to mark the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday. This will create a three-day weekend for employees whose regular days off are Saturday and Sunday. Public-sector employees in Sharjah already have Fridays off as part of their standard weekend.
The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) has also confirmed that Friday, August 28, 2026, will be an official holiday for Dubai Government departments, authorities and institutions.
Normal working hours will resume on Monday, August 31.
The long weekend comes during the final days of the school summer break, with the 2026–27 academic year scheduled to begin on Monday, August 31.
