Three-day holiday announced for Islamic New Year

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has declared a public holiday on the occasion of the Islamic New Year on June 27 (Friday), 2025.

Few of the private employees who receive Saturday as a weekend day, in addition to Sunday, will have a three-day long weekend, from June 27 to June 29. They will go back to work on June 30 (Monday).

Also, the government employees will have a three-day weekend because June 27 is an official holiday. In the meantime, the 1st of Muharram 1447 has started as the moon of the new Islamic month was seen on June 25.

The moon was seen a day ago in Saudi Arabia, and it indicates that the month of Zilhajj has 29 days. The Islamic New Year, or Hijri New Year, is the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar.

It commemorates the historical migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, a turning point in the history of Islam.

Conversely, the meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has been held this evening in Quetta, Pakistan, to sight the Muharram-ul-Haram 1447 Hijri moon.

The session will be conducted under the chairmanship of Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Quetta, whereas zonal and district Ruet-e-Hilal committee meetings will be conducted at their respective headquarters.

The moon’s birth is due to occur on June 25, 2025, at 3:32 PM. The moon would be about 28 hours and 15 minutes old when moonset occurs at sunset on June 26.