Annual leave and public holidays 2027: Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia
Plan 2027 with the right numbers: how much annual leave each labour law gives you, which public holidays are paid in the private sector, the expected dates (Eid dates are estimates until the moon is sighted), and how to stretch a few leave days into a long break.
Annual leave by country
| Country | Before 1 year | Years 1 to 5 | After 5 years | Paid on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE (Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 29) | 2 days a month after 6 months | 30 days a year | 30 days a year | Basic wage when paid out at the end |
| Saudi Arabia (Labor Law, Art. 109) | Earned in proportion | 21 days a year | 30 days a year | Actual (full) wage |
| Qatar (Labour Law 14/2004, Art. 79) | None until the first year is complete | 3 weeks (21 days) | 4 weeks (28 days) | Basic wage |
Work out your own balance and leave pay in the annual leave calculator. In Qatar the employer sets the leave dates and can split leave into at most two periods; at your written request, up to half can be deferred to the next year (Art. 80). In the UAE you can carry leave forward with the employer's agreement.
Paid public holidays in the private sector
UAE
Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 (in force since 1 January 2025) sets the same holidays for the public and private sectors: New Year's Day (1 January); Eid al-Fitr (1 to 3 Shawwal, plus 30 Ramadan if Ramadan has 30 days); Arafat Day (9 Dhu al-Hijjah); Eid al-Adha (10 to 12 Dhu al-Hijjah); Hijri New Year (1 Muharram); the Prophet's Birthday (12 Rabi al-Awwal); and National Day (2 and 3 December). Except for the Eids, the Cabinet may move a holiday to the start or end of the week. Under Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 28, these days are paid in full.
Saudi Arabia
Article 112 of the Labor Law gives full pay on the Eids and occasions set in the Implementing Regulations. HRSD's guidance on official holidays gives private-sector workers a 4-day Eid al-Fitr holiday starting the day after 29 Ramadan, a 4-day Eid al-Adha holiday starting on Arafat Day, and National Day (23 September). Ministerial Decision 131235 (2022) added Founding Day, one day on 22 February. If an Eid day falls on your weekly rest day, you get an equivalent day before or after; if National Day falls on a weekend, you get the previous or following day off. National Day and Founding Day are not compensated when they fall inside an Eid.
Qatar
Article 78 of the Labour Law gives at least 10 paid days a year: 3 working days for Eid al-Fitr, 3 for Eid al-Adha, 1 for National Day (18 December) and 3 days chosen by the employer. The Ministry of Labour announces the private-sector holidays before each occasion; it has also declared National Sports Day (the second Tuesday of February) a paid private-sector holiday in recent years.
Expected public holidays in 2027
Fixed dates are certain. Islamic holidays are estimates from the Umm al-Qura calendar (the same calendar as our Hijri date converter) and can shift by a day after the moon sighting. No country had published its official 2027 list when we checked.
| Holiday | Expected date (2027) | UAE | Saudi Arabia | Qatar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Fri 1 January | Yes | No | No |
| National Sports Day | Tue 9 February | No | No | Yes (announced yearly) |
| Founding Day | Mon 22 February | No | Yes | No |
| Ramadan begins | around Mon 8 February | Not a holiday; shorter working hours | ||
| Eid al-Fitr | around Tue 9 March | 9 to 11 March (12 March too if Ramadan has 30 days) | 4 days, 9 to 12 March | 3 working days |
| Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha | around Sat 15 and Sun 16 May | 15 to 18 May | 4 days, 15 to 18 May | 3 working days |
| Hijri New Year (1449) | around Sun 6 June | Yes | No | No |
| Prophet's Birthday | around Sat 14 August | Yes | No | No |
| Saudi National Day | Thu 23 September | No | Yes | No |
| UAE National Day | Thu 2 and Fri 3 December | Yes | No | No |
| Qatar National Day | Sat 18 December | No | No | Yes |
Government holidays can be longer than private-sector ones, especially for the Eids in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Your employer may also give more than the minimum.
Planning leave around the holidays
These examples use the estimated dates above. Count your own days with the working days calculator, entering the holidays that fall in your period.
Dubai, Saturday–Sunday weekend: Eid al-Fitr
If Eid falls on 9 to 11 March (Tuesday to Thursday), taking Monday 8 and Friday 12 March as leave gives 9 days off in a row, from Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 March, for 2 leave days. If Ramadan has 30 days, Friday 12 becomes a holiday and you need only 1 leave day.
UAE: Eid al-Adha
Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha would run from Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May. Taking Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 May gives 9 days off, 15 to 23 May, for 3 leave days.
Riyadh, Friday–Saturday weekend: Eid al-Fitr
The 4-day Eid holiday would run from Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 March. Friday is a rest day, so under HRSD's rule you get an equivalent day before or after. Ask your employer which day; with Sunday 14 March as that day, the break runs from Tuesday 9 to Sunday 14 March without using any leave, and adding Monday 8 March as leave stretches it further.
Doha: National Day and year end
Qatar National Day falls on Saturday 18 December 2027. Ask your employer how a holiday on a rest day is handled; many use their 3 employer-chosen days around the year end or the Eids.
Working on a holiday
- UAE: another day off for each holiday worked, or the wage for that day plus at least 50% of the basic wage (Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 28).
- Saudi Arabia: all hours worked on holidays and Eids count as overtime: the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic wage (Labor Law, Art. 107).
- Qatar: the Ministry of Labour has said that the Labour Law's overtime rules apply to staff who work during Eid. Check the rate in the overtime calculator.
Common mistakes
- Booking flights on estimated Eid dates without flexibility. Eid can move by a day; choose changeable tickets.
- Assuming government holidays apply to you. Private-sector holidays are often shorter.
- Counting Qatar leave before the first year. Annual leave under Art. 79 starts after one year of service, unless your contract gives more.
- Losing leave. Ask in writing before the year ends if you want to carry leave forward.