Ramadan decorations in Dubai on April 5. AFP
Ramadan decorations in Dubai on April 5. AFP
Ramadan decorations in Dubai on April 5. AFP
Ramadan decorations in Dubai on April 5. AFP

Start of Eid Al Fitr holiday announced for UAE public sector


  • English
  • Arabic

The Eid Al Fitr holiday will begin on Thursday, April 20 for workers in the public sector, authorities have announced.

The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources said the break would run from Ramadan 29 - which is marked on Thursday, April 20 - until Shawwal 3.

Shawwal 3 will fall on Sunday, April 23 if Ramadan lasts for 29 days and on Monday, April 24 if the holy month lasts for 30 days.

Shawwal is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

The exact start date of Eid will be decided by the UAE's Moon-sighting committee.

It will mean a long weekend for government employees across the Emirates.

Employees will enjoy a five-day break if the duration of Ramadan is 30 days and return to work on Tuesday, April 25.

If Ramadan is 29 days, the Eid holiday will last four days.

Shawwal 3 is expected to fall on Sunday April 23, the International Astronomical Centre said.

What is Eid Al Fitr?

At the end of Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr is the holiday that marks the completion of the month-long fasting period.

Practices vary around the world, but commonly they include morning prayers, public holidays, visiting family and friends, giving gifts and charity donations.

When is Eid Al Fitr and how is the start determined?

The end of the holy month will be confirmed in the same way as the beginning, by a Moon-sighting committee that is responsible for spotting the new crescent moon.

The duration of the holy month is decided by the Islamic calendar, which consists of 12 lunar months totalling either 354 or 355 days. That means each month can last either 29 or 30 days.

This year, in the UAE, Ramadan is expected to last 29 days, the Emirates Astronomical Society has said.

“Most likely, Ramadan this year will be for 29 days. Eid Al Fitr and the first of Shawwal will be on Friday, April 21,” Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the society's board of directors, told The National.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio

Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)

Engine 4.7L V8

Transmission Six-speed automatic

Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

Directed by: Shaka King

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons

Four stars

Updated: April 13, 2023, 9:27 AM`