Eid al-Adha · Day 1

First Day of Eid al-Adha in the UAE is the opening festival day on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, immediately after the Day of Arafah. Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, recalls Ibrahim’s willingness to obey God and coincides with the culminating rites of Hajj. Across the Emirates, the morning commonly begins with congregational Eid prayer before families exchange greetings, share food and visit relatives, neighbours or friends.

The UAE’s national holiday framework treats this date as the first of three statutory Eid al-Adha days, following the separate Arafah holiday. Government and private-sector employees receive paid public-holiday entitlement, subject to the rules that govern essential services, shifts and compensatory arrangements. Sacrifice, where undertaken, is connected with responsible distribution and giving rather than spectacle; many residents instead participate through prayer, hospitality, donations and family gatherings reflecting their own communities and circumstances.

For 2026, the first Eid day was Tuesday, 26 May, within FAHR’s announced federal closure of 25–29 May. The four statutory dates were Arafah on Monday followed by Eid from Tuesday through Thursday; Friday was an additional federal operational closure, not a permanent fourth festival day. The Gregorian placement changes annually with 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, so official UAE notices—not a long-range lunar estimate—control leave, opening hours and travel planning.