UAE National Day Holiday Calendar Enables Nine-Day Break With Strategic Leave Planning

Workers in the UAE are four weeks away from an opportunity to combine official public holidays with annual leave for a nine-day break, according to Arabian Business. Current UAE Government guidance lists UAE National Day, also known as Eid Al Etihad, on Wednesday, December 2, and Thursday, December 3, 2026.

Under a standard Monday-to-Friday working schedule, employees can book annual leave on Monday, November 30, Tuesday, December 1, and Friday, December 4. This arrangement links the weekend of Saturday, November 28, and Sunday, November 29, to the weekend of Saturday, December 5, and Sunday, December 6, delivering nine consecutive days away from work while consuming three days of annual leave.

Public and private sector personnel are both entitled to official public holidays designated by the UAE Government. Under Article 28 of Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 (UAE Labour Law), private sector employees receive paid leave on official holidays, and employers requiring staff to work during these dates must provide compensatory time off or prescribed additional pay.

The report noted that annual leave arrangements remain subject to employer approval, as companies must manage staffing levels and operational requirements. Eligible private sector employees in the UAE receive at least 30 days of annual leave for each year of service after completing one year, which employers schedule in agreement with staff according to operational needs.

Final holiday arrangements for Eid Al Etihad remain subject to official government confirmation, with December providing the final scheduled public holiday period of 2026 following Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha.