The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation announced today that Friday, June 27, 2025, will mark the Hijri New Year 1447 AH holiday. The day will be an official paid holiday for all employees working in private sector companies and institutions across the UAE.
Earlier today, the UAE’s Federal Authority for Government Human Resources announced a one-day holiday for Hijri New Year. The holiday will take place on Friday, June 27.
The announcements align with the country’s official calendar of public holidays and religious observances. According to legislation passed by the UAE Cabinet, both the public and private sectors observe Hijri New Year on Muharram 1. The legislation confirms that the holiday extends for one day.
Unlike the widely used Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar operates on the lunar cycle, marking the start of each Islamic year based on the sighting of the new moon. This means that all significant holidays in the Islamic calendar appear to shift forward approximately 11 days each year. For instance, the sighting of the moon determines the end of the month-long period of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid.
Read| UAE: Hijri New Year holiday announced for public sector
With the recent conclusion of Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha, the next holiday in the UAE will be for Hijri New Year. This holiday marks the beginning of every year in the Hijri calendar and falls on the first day of Muharram. The occasion is celebrated like any other public holiday in the UAE.
Following the Hijri New Year, the UAE will have two public holidays left for 2025: Prophet’s Birthday, which falls on Rabi’ Al Awal 12, and National Day, which is celebrated on December 2 and 3 of each year.