UAE Declares Islamic New Year Holiday For Private Sector

The UAE has declared that private sector workers in the country will receive a one-day holiday for Islamic New Year.

Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash issued a circular declaring the first of Muhrram month, 1436 H., as a paid official holiday for all workers in private sector companies and corporations, official news agency WAM reported.

The Minister issued the circular in implementation of Article 74 of the federal law No. 8 of 1980, governing labour relations, and related amendments.

Islamic New Year is likely to fall on Friday, October 24 or Saturday, October 25. It is not clear whether the holiday will be transferred to a working day if the event falls on Friday.

Meanwhile, public sector workers in the country will not receive a holiday for the occasion, WAM reported.

Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, issued a circular to all federal ministries and institutions, saying that since the event falls on an official holiday, it shall not be transferred or compensated.

The circular comes under the purview of the Council of Ministers’ Decision No. 13 of 2012, based on the provisions of Paragraph 6 of Article 100 of the Implementing Regulations of Federal Law by Decree No. 11 of 2008, pertaining to human resources of the federal government and its amendments, the report said.