Residents in the UAE are expected to have an extended weekend to celebrate the holiest day in Islam, Arafah Day, and the Eid Al Adha festival. This break is likely to occur in the second week of June.
The exact dates will be announced closer to the time, according to Sheikh Ayaz Houzee, Imam of NGS and Khateeb at Al Manar Islamic Centre.
Eid Al Adha comes around two months and a few days after Eid Al Fitr following the lunar Islamic calendar. Sheikh Ayaz explained that because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, the dates for both Eid festivals change each year, moving approximately 10 to 11 days earlier annually.
In the Islamic calendar, months are either 29 or 30 days long, determined by the sighting of the crescent Moon. Arafah Day occurs on the 9th day of the month of Dhul Hijjah, followed by Eid Al Adha, which spans three days.
According to the Hijri calendar on the Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) website, Dhul Hijjah 1 is expected to fall on Saturday, June 8. This prediction aligns with astronomical calculations, as stated by Khadijah Ahmad, operations manager of the Dubai Astronomy Group.
If Dhul Hijjah 1 is on Saturday, June 8, then Arafah Day falls on Sunday, June 16 (Dhul Hijjah 9), and Eid Al Adha is on Monday, June 17 (Dhul Hijjah 10). This means the break starts from Sunday, June 16, to Wednesday, June 19, including the weekend (Saturday, June 15). It gives a five-day holiday for the festival.
However, these dates might change based on Moon sightings.
