Qatar has announced a five-day holiday for Eid Al Adha this year.
In the Gulf nation, public holidays for the festival will begin on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, which is also known as Arafah Day — the holiest day in Islam.
The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, and the moon-sighting committee is scheduled to convene on May 27. If the crescent moon is sighted on that day, Dhul Hijjah (the 12th month of the Islamic year) will begin on May 28. If the moon is not sighted, Dhul Hijjah will begin on May 29.
Based on the moon sighting, the standing at Arafat will fall on either Thursday, June 5, or Friday, June 6. Eid Al Adha will be celebrated the day after Arafat Day.
The official holidays in Qatar will be from the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah to the end of the 13th day of Dhul Hijjah, but it may change as per moon sighting.
In the UAE, Arafah Day will be a holiday in UAE. This will be followed by a three-day break for the Islamic festival Eid Al Adha (Dhul Hijjah 10-12).
The Eid Al Adha break will then run from Friday, June 6, to Sunday, June 8, in the UAE. However, official dates are subject to sighting of the Moon.
