DUBAI: The UAE has confirmed an extended holiday period for National Day 2025, giving private sector employees a four-day weekend while students in Sharjah will enjoy an even longer break.
Sharjah students will receive a five-day holiday, as the emirate continues to follow a weekend of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The extended break coincides with the celebrations of Eid Al Etihad, the official name for the UAE’s National Day.
Earlier this week, the government declared December 1 and December 2 as paid holidays for private sector workers, creating a long weekend when combined with Saturday and Sunday.
This year’s adjustment follows a Cabinet resolution that came into effect on January 1, 2025. The policy permits shifting certain public holidays to the beginning or end of the week when they fall midweek. While previous announcements placed the Eid Al Etihad holidays on December 2 and December 3, the dates were moved to December 1 and December 2 under the new guidelines.
The resolution does not apply to Eid holidays and can only be activated when the Cabinet approves a schedule change. The UAE continues to operate a unified holiday system, ensuring both public and private sector employees receive the same number of official holidays throughout the year.
