4-day Eid holiday in UAE: Travel deals start from Dh1,999 as residents make Eid plans

UAE residents will get a four-day break for Eid Al Adha next month, regardless of whether the moon is sighted on May 27. Astronomical predictions indicate that Dhul Hijah is expected to begin on May 28. Now that the probable dates for the Islamic holiday have become clearer, many are flocking to book holidays and short getaways.

"Ever since Qatar and Kuwait announced their holidays, the probable dates for Eid holidays have become clearer to UAE residents," said Safeer Mohammed of Smart Travel. "Since then, we have received a lot of enquiries and bookings. Most of the travel is gravitating towards visa-free places like CIS countries."

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Although no official dates have been announced yet in the Kingdom, Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) has declared a 6-day holiday for the festival.

Sold out packages

There's definitely a high demand for Eid packages. Mohamed Kasim from Akbar Travels said that almost all their tours are now sold out. "Some of the most popular destinations apart from CIS countries are Kenya and Egypt," he said. "In Kenya, a lot of people are travelling to see the Maasai Mara National Reserve."

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Kunaal Nanik from Marcopolo Holidays is seeing a “clear shift” in the trend for Eid holidays. "People are planning ahead and are better prepared, with a strong preference for longer trips."

“With Eid falling during summer, Europe continues to be a top choice — especially among travellers who applied early for Schengen visas, showing greater awareness of limited appointment availability. We’re also seeing increased interest in the Balkans, where visa-on-arrival access is possible for those holding long-term multiple-entry US, UK, or Schengen visas.”

Safeer added that many of their travellers preferred shorter trips lasting four nights and five days for Eid with prices being a major factor of consideration. “For leisure travel, the most popular package we have seen is our trip to Baku which sold for Dh1,999," he said. "We had trips to Tashkent for Dh2,100 and a joint travel to Armenia and Georgia for Dh2,599."

Holidays in the UAE

This year, Tuesday, May 27, will correspond to 29 Dhul Qadah. If the crescent moon is sighted on Tuesday evening, then May 28 will be Dhul Hijjah 1. This means, Eid would fall on Friday, June 6.

If the crescent moon is not sighted on Tuesday, then Thursday, May 29, will be Dhul Hijjah 1. This means Eid would fall on Saturday, June 7. On Sunday, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia called on all its residents to observe the sky for the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah on the evening of Tuesday.

According to a UAE Cabinet resolution, the Eid Al Adha holidays last from 9 to 12 Dhul Hijjah — which is the day of Arafat and first three days of Eid Al Adha. On Sunday, an expert from the International Astronomical Centre (IAC), said the crescent for Dhul Hijjah is expected to be sighted on May 27.

Nasreen Abdulla

nasreen@khaleejtimes.com

Nasreen Abdulla is a Special Correspondent covering food, tech and human interest stories. When not challenged by deadlines, you’ll find her pulling off submissions on the jiu jitsu mats.