Till last year, both Israa Wal Miraj and the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were public holidays.

Even as public and private sector employees in the UAE will enjoy more official days off for Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha, they will not get a paid holiday for Israa Wal Miraj (Rajab 27) and the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (Rabi Al Awwal 12). (Complete list of holidays in UAE this year)



As reported by Khaleej Times earlier, this is according to the list of holidays that was announced by the UAE Cabinet last month when it said that private sector employees will enjoy the same number of holidays as their counterparts in the public sector. The total number of official holidays this year is 14.



Till last year, both Israa Wal Miraj -- which falls on Wednesday this year -- and the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were public holidays.



According to the list of holidays, residents will enjoy up to five days off for Eid Al Fitr. The list specifies the holidays from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3, which means that if Ramadan has 30 days, the number of holidays would be five.



"The decision aims at enhancing the balance between the two sectors and supporting the national economy in its various fields. It will contribute to streamlining work in both the public and private sectors," the Cabinet had said in a statement when they announced the unified holidays.



The decision will also "enhance the attractiveness of the private sector for Emiratis". "It will also make it easier for citizens and residents to plan their vacations in advance and to strengthen social ties between all segments of society."



reporters@khaleejtimes.com