Long weekend as UAE celebrates National Day

Private-sector workers will be able to enjoy a long weekend in celebration of the 41st UAE National Day.

Employees in private companies  were told of the holiday this
month, and now it has been
confirmed that they will get a day off on December 2.

It was also announced this month by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources that government employees would get an additional day’s holiday and return to work on December 4.

This year’s National Day theme will be, as it was last year, the Spirit of the Union.

A government organising committee, formed earlier this year to oversee the festivities, will announce the full line-up of events that will take place across the country.

The celebrations are due to begin  on Sunday – a week before the big day itself – and will run until December 3.

For this year’s event, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has asked citizens to plant trees at their homes or workplaces as a way of supporting the theme.

“The initiative ... aims to encourage all the UAE nationals and
authorities to celebrate the 41st
National Day and enhance the 
nobility and humanitarian deeds of the United Arab Emirates,” said Nasser Al Budoor, the assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and director of Dubai Medical District.

zalhassani@thenational.ae