Islamic New Year 2023: Sharjah, Kuwait announce holiday for public sector; Check dates

As the start of a new lunar calendar year, the Islamic New Year, also known as the Hijri New Year, is a significant event for Muslims. The Hijri New Year is observed on a different day of the Gregorian calendar every year because the lunar year is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar year. The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle.

Islamic New Year 2023: Sharjah, Kuwait announces holiday for public sector; Check dates anr

Aishwarya Nair

First Published Jul 13, 2023, 5:08 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 13, 2023, 5:12 PM IST

Sharjah: The Sharjah government on Thursday revealed the day off for public sector workers over the Islamic New Year. The Hijri New Year holiday will start on Thursday, which corresponds to July 20, 2023, according to a statement from the Sharjah Government's Department of Human Resources.
They added, "The official working hours will resume on Monday, corresponding to July 24, 2023."

Also read: UAE awaits another 3-day weekend for Islamic New Year; Check the date HERE

In January 2022, all government agencies in Sharjah changed to a three-day weekend, with employees given Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off. Therefore, with the Hijri New Year holiday declared on Thursday, workers will benefit from a longer weekend.

The public and private sectors will be closed on Wednesday, July 19, which is anticipated to be the first day of the new year, and on Thursday, July 20. This was verified by the Centre For Government Communication in Kuwait. This means that in addition to the Friday and Saturday weekend, Kuwaitis will have a four-day holiday this year.

According to an earlier report from the Oman News Agency, the country's public and private sectors would be off on Thursday, July 20, 2023.

The UAE's private sector employees will all receive a paid holiday on Friday, July 21, 2023, in honour of the Islamic New Year (1445 H), according to a statement from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE). The country's Federal Authority of Human Resources had previously declared the same day as a holiday for those working in the public sector.

For more reliable and latest news