Saudi Arabia, UAE Announce Four Days Eid Al-Adha Holidays

Riyadh – Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially announced on Monday that there will be four days Eid Al-Adha holidays for the workers in the private and non-profit sectors. 

"In Saudi Arabia, employees in the private and non-profit sectors will enjoy four days off, starting from Arafat Day, which falls on Tuesday, June 27, 2023," the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development wrote on Twitter. 

Employees will enjoy two non-weekend days off, on Friday and Saturday, which means employees will have four days off, until July 2, 2023. 

As for the UAE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emirates announced that private sector employees will enjoy a day off from June 27 to Friday June 30, 2023. While July 1-2, remains a weekend holiday. 

The decision was taken after the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday, June 18, 2023, the sighting of the crescent of Dhul-Hijjah, which marks the beginning of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. 

With the sighting of the crescent moon, Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on June 28, 2023 in Saudi Arabia. 

As information, Eid al-Adha, known as the "Feast of Sacrifice", is a revered celebration, which coincides with the last rites of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Hajj, which will begin on June 26, is considered to be the world’s largest religious gathering with the Hajj season expected to see millions of pilgrims flock to the holy city of Mecca.