Private school pupils in Dubai are to enjoy a week-long holiday to mark Eid Al Adha, education authorities announced on Tuesday.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the emirate’s private school regulator, said schools would close from Monday, May 25, until Sunday, May 31. Classes will resume on Monday, June 1.
Public and private sector staff are also set for a long weekend in celebration of the festival.
Astronomers in the UAE previously forecast that Eid Al Adha would begin across the Arab world on Wednesday, May 27. It will be preceded by Arafat Day, a significant date in the annual Hajj pilgrimage and a public holiday in the Emirates.
The UAE government is to grant four days of paid leave for Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha, meaning employees could have a six-day break from Tuesday, May 26, when the weekend is included.
How are holiday dates determined?
Arafat Day is observed on the ninth day of Dhu Al Hijja – the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar – with Eid Al Adha beginning on the 10th day.
The Sharjah Space and Astronomy Hub, based at the University of Sharjah, forecasts that the crescent moon heralding the start of Dhu Al Hijja will be sighted on the evening of Sunday, May 17, meaning the month will begin the following day.
If this comes to pass, Arafat Day will be marked on May 26 and Eid Al Adha will begin on the following day.
The start date of Dhu Al Hijja will declared by the UAE’s moon-sighting committee, a group of senior religious scholars, officials and astronomers.
What is Eid Al Adha?
Eid Al Adha is the second of the two Eid festivals observed each year and comes after Eid Al Fitr. Its name translates to the Festival of the Sacrifice, as it commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command.
Eid Al Adha coincides with the end of the Hajj season, when pilgrims travel to Makkah to perform a series of rituals. The pilgrimage is one of the four pillars of Islam.