UAE announces public holiday for Islamic New Year 2026/Image: Getty Images
The United Arab Emirates has declared Monday, June 15, a public holiday for both government employees and private sector workers to mark the Hijri New Year 1448.The announcement was made by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in accordance with the UAE Cabinet’s approved list of public holidays for 2026.Government offices and private companies will suspend operations for the day, with normal working hours resuming on Tuesday, June 16. The Monday holiday will create a three-day weekend for employees who observe a Saturday-Sunday weekend. In Sharjah, where government employees and students follow a four-day workweek with Friday, Saturday and Sunday as weekly holidays, the occasion will result in a four-day break.The Hijri New Year marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar and falls on the first day of Muharram, the calendar’s opening month.The occasion commemorates the Hijra, the migration of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina, a pivotal event in Islamic history that serves as the starting point of the Islamic calendar.The date is officially observed across the UAE as one of the country’s recognised public holidays.
