GCC Eid Al Adha 2026 Confirmed: HR Planning Window for Foreign

GCC economies including UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman have confirmed Eid Al Adha 2026 will fall on Wednesday, May 27. For multinational employers, the window to align payroll, shifts and operations closes within days.

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On May 17, the UAE Council for Fatwa announced the sighting of the Dhul Hijjah crescent, officially setting Eid Al Adha for Wednesday, May 27, 2026, with the Day of Arafat on Tuesday, May 26. Saudi Arabia and Oman confirmed the same dates, while Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, which traditionally follow the Saudi announcement, are aligned on the same calendar.

For multinational employers in the GCC, the confirmation finally unlocks late-May operational planning after weeks of “provisional” scheduling.

UAE public sector: Five days off, up to nine with the weekend

The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has confirmed that government employees will be on leave from Monday, May 25 to Friday, May 29, 2026, with work resuming on Monday, June 1.

Combined with Saturday and Sunday, the break extends to nine consecutive days.

In Sharjah, which operates on a four-day working week, the holiday stretches even further.

UAE private sector: Four paid days, no nine-day break

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has put an end to speculation: private sector workers will receive four paid days of leave, from Tuesday, May 26 to Friday, May 29, 2026. For employees with a standard Saturday-Sunday weekend, the total break is six days.

The decision reflects the UAE’s unified holiday policy across public and private sectors, but in practice the private sector remains one day shorter than the public sector: a mismatch HR teams will need to manage carefully in internal communications.

Saudi Arabia: Four days starting from the Day of Arafat

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) provides for a four-day holiday starting from Arafat Day, with a total six-day break from Tuesday, May 26 to Sunday, May 31 for private sector employees in the Kingdom.

Employee rights During Eid Al Adha 2026: UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia

UAE: Entitlements and compensation

In the UAE, Eid Al Adha is not only a significant religious celebration but also a key period of paid public holiday entitlements for employees. As the 2025 Eid holidays span from Thursday, June 5 to Sunday, June 8, workers across both public and private sectors benefit from a four-day break. Understanding how these days are treated under UAE Labour Law is essential for both employers and employees to avoid disputes and ensure compliance.

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, specifically Article 29, employees are entitled to full pay on officially declared public holidays, including Eid Al Adha. If an employee is required to work during this period, the law mandates either:

• A compensatory day off at a later date; or
• Their regular wage plus an additional 50 percent of their basic salary.

Employees may also choose to extend their Eid holiday by using part of their annual leave. As outlined in Article 28, such leave is subject to employer approval, which must balance operational needs with employee well-being. Notably, if an employer refuses leave, they are obligated to notify the employee at least one month in advance.

A recent update (Resolution No. 27 of 2024) clarified how holidays are handled when they overlap with weekends. Generally, if a public holiday falls on a weekend, no extra compensatory day is provided. However, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha are exempt from this rule, reflecting their religious and cultural importance.

For 2025, this regulation is less contentious, as Eid Al Adha conveniently falls across a Thursday to Sunday span, delivering a natural four-day weekend for most workers without the need for additional leave days or compensatory adjustments.

Qatar: Entitlements and compensation

Employees in Qatar are entitled to three working days of fully paid leave for Eid Al Adha, as stipulated in Article 78 of the Qatar Labour Law.

If an employee is required to work during the Eid Al Adha holidays, the employer must provide either:

• A compensatory day off; or
• Overtime pay as per the employment contract or company policy.

Public holidays in Qatar, including Eid Al Adha, are not deducted from an employee’s annual leave balance. If a public holiday coincides with the weekend, the employer is not obligated to provide an additional day off unless specified in the employment contract.

Saudi Arabia: Entitlements and compensation

Employees in Saudi Arabia are entitled to four days of fully paid leave for Eid Al Adha, commencing from the Day of Arafat.

Employees required to work during the Eid Al Adha holidays are entitled to:

• Their regular wage; plus
• An additional 50 percent of their basic salary as overtime compensation.

Public holidays are not counted against an employee’s annual leave entitlement. If a public holiday falls on a weekend, the employer is not required to provide an alternative day off unless specified in the employment contract.

What multinational HR teams need to do: Operational checkpoints

• Payroll: In the UAE, Eid Al Adha leave is fully paid by law in both public and private sectors; any overtime worked during the break must be compensated under Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021. In Saudi Arabia, the Wage Protection System (WPS) requires on-time payment regardless of holidays,  pay cycles should be brought forward to avoid compliance breaches.
• Stranded staff / business continuity: The break coincides with one of the GCC’s peak annual outbound travel periods, with demand to Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok already elevated. Companies with expat personnel should confirm return policies and on-call protocols this week.
• Sharjah vs. the rest of the UAE: For groups with offices across multiple emirates, the Sharjah calendar creates an operational mismatch that should be reflected in shared calendars and external client SLAs.
• Private vs. public sector: Businesses serving the public sector or operating on government contracts should note that federal offices will be closed one day longer than the private sector, with knock-on effects on compliance deadlines, document filings and visa processing.
• Saudization and Nitaqat: The closure of MHRSD and Qiwa during the holiday period can delay contract uploads, work permit renewals and Nitaqat band adjustments. Companies near critical Nitaqat thresholds should bring forward their filings.

Conclusion

Eid Al Adha is the longest break of the year in the GCC and a real stress test for the HR maturity of foreign-invested companies. For employers operating simultaneously across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, an increasingly common profile after the Regional Headquarters Program, the asymmetry between national calendars, between public and private sectors, and between emirates requires coordinated planning that many local HR functions still handle reactively.

The window to align payroll, shifts, internal communications and government-facing deadlines is now down to a handful of working days.

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