Last reviewed: August 26, 2026 · Holiday data: June 25, 2026
United Arab Emirates observes 13 public holidays in 2028. 6 fall on a weekday and 7 land on a weekend, leaving 254 working days across the year on the national-only count.
2028 public holidays calendar
Date
Day
Holiday
Notes
Jan 1
Saturday (weekend)
New Year's Day
New Year's Day lands on a Saturday (January 1) and is absorbed into the weekend.
Feb 25
Friday
Eid al-Fitr (eve)approx.
Eid al-Fitr (eve) (approximate) on Friday February 25 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
Feb 26
Saturday (weekend)
Eid al-Fitr (day 1)approx.
Eid al-Fitr (day 1) (approximate) lands on a Saturday (February 26) and is absorbed into the weekend.
Feb 27
Sunday (weekend)
Eid al-Fitr (day 2)approx.
Eid al-Fitr (day 2) (approximate) lands on a Sunday (February 27) and is absorbed into the weekend.
Feb 28
Monday
Eid al-Fitr (day 3)approx.
Eid al-Fitr (day 3) (approximate) on Monday February 28 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
May 4
Thursday
Arafat Dayapprox.
Arafat Day (approximate) on Thursday May 4 is a strong bridge-day candidate; many employers grant the Friday as discretionary leave to produce a four-day weekend.
May 5
Friday
Eid al-Adha (day 1)approx.
Eid al-Adha (day 1) (approximate) on Friday May 5 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
May 6
Saturday (weekend)
Eid al-Adha (day 2)approx.
Eid al-Adha (day 2) (approximate) lands on a Saturday (May 6) and is absorbed into the weekend.
May 7
Sunday (weekend)
Eid al-Adha (day 3)approx.
Eid al-Adha (day 3) (approximate) lands on a Sunday (May 7) and is absorbed into the weekend.
May 24
Wednesday
Islamic New Yearapprox.
Islamic New Year (approximate) on Wednesday May 24 breaks the working week without an obvious adjacent-weekend bridge opportunity.
Dec 1
Friday
Commemoration Day
Commemoration Day on Friday December 1 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
Dec 2
Saturday (weekend)
National Day
National Day lands on a Saturday (December 2) and is absorbed into the weekend.
Dec 3
Sunday (weekend)
National Day (day 2)
National Day (day 2) lands on a Sunday (December 3) and is absorbed into the weekend.
approx. Entries tagged are lunar, Islamic, or Hebrew-calendar dates computed astronomically because the official gazette has not yet published this year. Confirm against the issuing authority before relying on them for legally binding deadlines.
2028 year summary
Total days
366
Weekend days
106
Public holidays on weekdays
6
Working days
254
The 7 weekend-falling public holidays in 2028 are absorbed into the regular Saturday and Sunday count, so the working-day reduction comes only from the 6 weekday-falling entries. The UAE observes federal public holidays per annual Cabinet decree, with Eid al-Fitr, Arafat Day, Eid al-Adha, Islamic New Year, and Mawlid al-Nabawi on the Islamic lunar calendar. The federal public sector moved from a Friday-Saturday to a Saturday-Sunday weekend in January 2022; the private sector largely aligned.
Holidays not included
Emirate-specific commemorations (e.g., Sheikh Zayed Humanitarian Work Day on August 19 in some configurations, Dubai government anniversaries) are not part of the federal set. The free zones (ADGM, DIFC, JAFZA, DAFZA) operate under their own commercial-law regimes and may observe slightly different holiday calendars. The Mawlid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Birthday) was removed from the official UAE federal holiday list in 2019 but reappears in some years; this calculator includes it for 2024 and excludes it for 2025-2026 per the Cabinet announcements.
How many public holidays does United Arab Emirates have in 2028?
United Arab Emirates observes 13 public holidays in 2028. Of those, 6 fall on a weekday and 7 land on a weekend. The complete list with dates and weekday placements is in the calendar table above.
How many working days does United Arab Emirates have in 2028?
United Arab Emirates has 254 working days in 2028 on the national-only count, after subtracting 106 weekend days and 6 weekday-falling public holidays. Regional or industry-specific holidays may further reduce the count for narrower contract definitions.
Which 2028 public holiday dates fall on a weekday?
6 of United Arab Emirates's 13 public holidays in 2028 fall on a weekday and reduce the working days count: Eid al-Fitr (eve) (approximate) (Friday, February 25); Eid al-Fitr (day 3) (approximate) (Monday, February 28); Arafat Day (approximate) (Thursday, May 4); Eid al-Adha (day 1) (approximate) (Friday, May 5); Islamic New Year (approximate) (Wednesday, May 24); Commemoration Day (Friday, December 1).
Which 2028 holidays fall on a weekend and how are they handled?
7 public holidays in 2028 fall on a weekend: New Year's Day on Saturday, January 1; Eid al-Fitr (day 1) (approximate) on Saturday, February 26; Eid al-Fitr (day 2) (approximate) on Sunday, February 27; Eid al-Adha (day 2) (approximate) on Saturday, May 6; Eid al-Adha (day 3) (approximate) on Sunday, May 7; National Day on Saturday, December 2; National Day (day 2) on Sunday, December 3. The country may shift the observance to an adjacent weekday by proclamation or industry custom; check the official gazette for the year in question.