Habibi, bring that calendar out. There’s a decent chance the rest of 2026 delivers two proper long weekends for UAE residents. Firstly, in August, followed by one in December. Both come down to a single piece of legislation that keeps quietly working in everyone’s favour.
The August Long Weekend
Current projections put the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday on Tuesday, August 25. On its own, a Tuesday holiday is a bit of a tease. You get the day off, sure, but it doesn’t connect to the weekend, so it doesn’t really feel like a break. Except under UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, where holidays similar to this can be transferred to the start or end of the working week to align holidays in a better way.
If the Cabinet approves the shift, the holiday moves to Monday, August 24, linking directly to the Saturday–Sunday weekend and becoming a three-day break for both public and private sector employees.
The December Long Weekend In The UAE
Then there’s National Day—Eid Al Etihad, which officially falls on Wednesday, December 2, and Thursday, December 3, in 2026. The government could extend the holiday to include Friday, December 4, giving residents a five-day weekend heading into the year’s final stretch.
Add the two up, three days in August and five in December, and residents could be looking at eight extra days off before the year wraps up.
Nothing’s confirmed until the Cabinet actually signs off, but the mechanism behind it is well-established at this point, so this isn’t wishful thinking. It’s how the last couple of years have actually played out.
Also Read: UAE Announces Extra Day Off For Public Holidays Falling On Weekends
Why This Keeps Happening To Public Holidays In UAE?
This all traces back to the 2024 update to the UAE’s public holiday law, which changed how holidays landing awkwardly in the middle of the week or on a weekend. Before the change, a holiday falling on a Sunday, say, was still technically a paid day off, but private sector workers didn’t feel the benefit.
Why?
Because Sunday’s already part of the weekend. Now, the law allows those holidays to shift to whichever end of the week gets more people an actual extra day off. It doesn’t apply to Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha. Those stay fixed to their Hijri dates, but for holidays like National Day and the Prophet’s Birthday, it’s become the reason UAE residents keep ending up with more long weekends than the base calendar suggests.
If you’re the sort who plans annual leave around this stuff and honestly, most of Dubai is it’s worth keeping half an eye on the next public holiday announcements as the Cabinet confirms dates closer to the time.
Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/yuriyseleznev
FAQs
Does this rule apply to Eid holidays too?
No. The transfer rule under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 doesn't apply to Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha, which stay tied to their confirmed Hijri dates.
Is the extra time off confirmed?
Not yet. Both extensions depend on UAE Cabinet ratification closer to each date.
How many extra days off could UAE residents get in 2026?
Potentially eight, three from the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday shifting to a long weekend in August, and five from National Day extending into December 4.
