The key facts

  • The UAE private sector is off December 2–3, the public sector December 2–4
  • Government entities resume work on December 7, giving many employees a five-day break
  • This is the second time in 2026 that the two sectors' holidays differ in length

Confirmed holiday dates

The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has confirmed that private sector employees will receive two paid days off — Wednesday and Thursday, December 2 and 3 — in honour of the 55th National Day, officially known as Eid Al Etihad (the 'Festival of the Union'). The National reported the news.

The difference between the sectors

Public sector employees get one extra day off: from December 2 to 4 inclusive. Government entities will return to their regular schedule on Monday, December 7, meaning many public sector employees will enjoy a five-day break when the weekend is included. Although under the UAE's unified national calendar both sectors are normally supposed to receive the same number of holiday days, this is already the second time this year that the holiday periods have differed: in May, for Eid Al Adha, the private sector had four days off (May 26–29) while the public sector had five (May 25–29).

What the holiday is about

Eid Al Etihad is the official name of the UAE's National Day; the Arabic term means 'Festival of the Union' and refers to the unification of the emirates. The federation was formed on December 2, 1971 by six emirates; Ras Al Khaimah joined on February 10, 1972. The union was led by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who became the country's first president. The annual celebrations include cultural performances, fireworks and an official ceremony attended by the emirates' rulers and senior officials; last year's main ceremony was held at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, before its official opening to the public.