ABU DHABI (The Thursday Times) — Federal government employees in the United Arab Emirates will have three days off from Wednesday, December 2, to Friday, December 4, to mark the country’s 55th Eid Al Etihad, or National Day, the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources announced on Friday.
Ministries and federal entities will return to regular working hours on Monday, December 7. With the Saturday and Sunday weekend, the holiday gives federal staff a five-day break, from Wednesday to Sunday.
The holiday for the private sector has not yet been announced.
An extra day this year
The Eid Al Etihad holiday usually falls on December 2 and 3. Adding Friday, December 4, means federal employees will not need to take a day of annual leave to bridge the gap to the weekend. Under a 2025 law that allows some public holidays to be moved, last year’s National Day holiday was shifted to December 1 and 2.
Eid Al Etihad, formerly known as National Day or Union Day, marks the union of the emirates in 1971. Six emirates came together on December 2 that year, and Ras Al Khaimah joined on February 10, 1972, completing the seven.
It is the last public holiday of 2026 in the UAE. The next is New Year’s Day, which falls on Friday, January 1, 2027, giving a three-day weekend.
The holiday comes as several new UAE rules take effect from January, including tighter traffic laws and new rules for delivery riders.
