Eid Al Adha holidays in UAE could be nine days

Eid holidays for private schools in the UAE are expected to stretch nine days. The tentative dates for the break are starting November 12 and until November 20, a GEMS Dubai official told Emirates 24|7, adding that the Education Ministry is yet to announce the formal dates.

Although schools are expected to get the nine-day break, the number of days off for public and private sector employees remains unclear as yet. With Arafat (Haj) Day expected to be on Monday, November 15, and Eid Al Adha expected on Tuesday, November 16, Eid break could stretch between three and nine days for employees in the UAE.

Many UAE residents are planning to go on short trips in and around the country and are awaiting the Ministry’s announcements on the break. “Last year, private sector holidays fell during the weekend, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” said Lobo S, a Dubai resident who works in the restaurant business.

“This year, with Eid Al Adha expected on Tuesday, November 16, we’re hoping the Ministry and our employers will stretch holidays from Sunday until Thursday, in effect giving us a nine-day break,” he added.

A number of travel agents, hotels and airlines in the country and around the region have started announcing packages for such breaks, luring travellers with competitively-priced fares and discounts on travel and stay.

GCC peer Qatar has already announced a 10-day break for schools and public sector employees. Eid break in Qatar will start on November 11 and end on November 21.

“The holidays were initially scheduled to start on November 15, but since there's only one working day between the weekend and the Eid holidays, the authorities will be giving Sunday off as well,” Al Arab newspaper reported.

The longish break is likely to fuel debate in Gulf countries about the vast discrepancies between the public and the private sectors, in the holidays granted to their employees.

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