The UAE Government Media Office announced on 7 August 2026 that Friday, 28 August, will be a paid public holiday marking Mawlid Al Nabawi — the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The day off applies simultaneously to the federal government and the entire private sector. For employees on the standard Saturday–Sunday weekend that makes it a three-day break from 28 to 30 August, with a return to work on Monday 31 August.
The announcement was expected: Mawlid Al Nabawi falls each year on the 12th day of Rabi Al Awwal in the Islamic lunar calendar, and the UAE Cabinet confirms the exact Gregorian date through the Media Office a few weeks ahead. In 2026 it lands on a Friday — and becomes a paid day off across all employers in the country.
What exactly was announced
- Date: Friday, 28 August 2026.
- Who is covered: the federal government and the entire private sector of the UAE.
- Status: paid public holiday.
- Long weekend for Sat–Sun staff: three days off from 28 to 30 August, back to work on Monday 31 August.
- Primary source: UAE Government Media Office (mediaoffice.ae).
How the day is paid
The legal base is Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the Labour Law) plus the Cabinet Resolution setting the list of public holidays. Under that framework, 28 August is part of the paid holidays for which the company owes the employee a full day's pay regardless of whether they worked. Payroll records in the WPS wage protection file for August keep the day as a working day — there is no separate deduction to make.
Where employment contracts are structured around hourly or piece-rate pay, the standard practice is to apply the average day rate for the preceding 30 calendar days. Wording is worth checking against the current overview of UAE business regulation in 2026, while the process of pausing operations for a public holiday sits comfortably alongside our practical guide to hiring employees in the UAE.
What to do if an employee has to work on 28 August
Under Article 28 of the UAE Labour Law, working on a paid public holiday is allowed on operational grounds only and requires compensation. The employer has two options:
- Grant the employee another paid day off within the next pay cycle; or
- Pay the ordinary day rate plus a bonus of at least 50 percent — 150 percent of the daily wage in total.
The mechanics are usually set out in the employment contract and internal HR policy. Retail, HoReCa, healthcare and logistics — where operations must run continuously — will benefit from publishing rotas for 28 August in advance and signing the relevant contract addenda, so there are no disputes and no complaints referred to MOHRE.
What this changes for HR planning
Three practical steps for UAE businesses over the next three weeks:
- Update the production calendar for August 2026 across all internal systems: HRIS, Time & Attendance and the WPS payroll file. Mark 28 August as a paid public holiday.
- Agree rotas for functions that need to keep running: retail, warehousing, HoReCa, customer support, security and medical services. Finalise schedules 14 days out and secure written employee consent.
- Check the week's deadlines: supplier payments, EmaraTax filings and reports to MOHRE and the Central Bank. Bank counters and clearing are unlikely to run that day — line up payments in advance.
Context: the UAE calendar of paid holidays
Beyond 28 August, two more anchors remain in the standard UAE production calendar this year: Commemoration Day (1 December) and UAE National Day (2–3 December). The Cabinet confirms exact dates closer to the event, and the current list is published on u.ae. Islamic dates — Mawlid, Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr, Hajj and Eid Al Adha — are typically announced by the Media Office 2–4 weeks ahead, as they depend on lunar-month sighting.
This material is informational and does not constitute HR or legal advice. The primary source is the UAE Government Media Office (mediaoffice.ae). The current version of the Labour Law and the mechanics of paying for public holidays are published on u.ae and mohre.gov.ae. Confirm the current production calendar with u.ae before issuing internal orders.
