A handful of national and religious holidays can noticeably change opening hours and crowd levels — worth checking against your travel dates.
UAE National Day (2 December) and Commemoration Day (1 December) are fixed each year and mark the union of the emirates and honour the country's fallen, respectively — both bring visible public celebrations, flags and evening events, especially in Abu Dhabi as the capital.
Eid al-Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha, along with the Islamic New Year and the Prophet's Birthday, follow the lunar Hijri calendar, which shifts roughly 10–11 days earlier each Gregorian year. This means their dates aren't fixed and need checking against the specific year of your trip — official confirmation often only comes a day or two before the holiday itself, based on moon sighting.
Government offices and some businesses close on public holidays, popular attractions can get busier with local visitors on holiday time off, and multi-day holidays like Eid sometimes bring extended closures or shifted hours at smaller businesses. Major tourist attractions generally stay open, often with special events.
