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United Arab Emirates's national day is National Day, 2 December. Here are the public holidays that close shops, banks and offices, and the festivals expats plan their year around.
Festivals worth planning around
🎉
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha🎉
Dubai Shopping FestivalDec–Jan🎉
Abu Dhabi Grand PrixNovember🎉
Ramadan iftar culturePublic holidays
The full list of national public holidays with this year's dates, plus regional and religious observances, is on the official calendar linked below. Expect closures on the national day, New Year and the main religious holidays; check the calendar before booking appointments, movers or government visits.
- Which holidays shift to a Monday when they fall on a weekend.
- School holiday calendar and how it affects rents and flights.
- Local customs: what to bring, what closes, when the fireworks are.
Official & reference sources
Starter content generated from the country data model. Replace with sourced, dated copy before launch. Last reviewed: not yet.