By Gavin Gibbon

More of this topic

Posted inCulture & Society

Possible long weekend coming up in the UAE for Islamic New Year

Sunday, September 1 should be the first month of Muharram for the year 1,441 Hijri

By Gavin Gibbon
Fresh from the extended break to celebrate Eid Al Adha, all attentions are now turning to the Islamic New Year, which this year falls on Saturday, August 31.
Fresh from the extended break to celebrate Eid Al Adha, all attentions are now turning to the Islamic New Year, which this year falls on Saturday, August 31.

UAE residents could be in line for another long weekend in just a couple of weeks.

Fresh from the extended break to celebrate Eid Al Adha, all attentions are now turning to the Islamic New Year, which this year falls on Saturday, August 31.

It has been suggested that residents may be given the Sunday off to celebrate the migration of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

The official holiday will be dictated by the moon observation, however, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, an astronomer and member of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy Sciences, tweeted earlier this week that the new crescent will be born on Friday, August 30 at 2.37pm UAE time and will not be visible after sunset.

According to his astronomical calculations, Sunday, September 1 should be the first month of Muharram for the year 1,441 Hijri.

The Islamic New Year marks the arrival of the Prophet Mohammed to Madinah after emigrating from Makkah, marking the beginning of the Islamic era in 622 AD.

Follow us on

For all the latest business news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.