The UAE announced a public holiday for private sector employees on Friday, September 5, on the occasion of the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday.
Most employees will enjoy a three-day weekend as the holiday will be combined with the official weekend, which includes Saturday and Sunday.
Celebrated by many faithful around the world, the holiday coincides with the religious occasion that falls on 12 Rabi Al Awwal of the Hijri calendar.
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Earlier, the UAE announced the public holiday for government employees, declaring September 5 as the official day. This also translates to a three-day holiday for them. Meanwhile, public sector employees in Sharjah already have Fridays off as part of their usual weekends.
The announcement comes after the crescent for Rabi Al Awwal was not sighted on Saturday, August 23. This finding by the UAE’s astronomy center confirmed that the month of Safar would last 30 days, and the third month of the Hijri calendar would begin on Monday, August 25, leading the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday—which falls on 12 Rabi Al Awwal every year—to coincide with September 5.
In a rare occurrence, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will not be celebrating the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday on the same day, as the Kingdom sighted the Moon a day before the Emirates.
The Hijri (Islamic) calendar is based on lunar sightings, meaning the phases of the moon determine its months. Each month begins with the sighting of the new moon.
On the 29th of every Hijri month, the UAE moon sighting committee convenes to observe the crescent and declare the commencement of the next Islamic month.
