Ramadan In The UAE 2023: All You Need To Know About Working Hours, School Timings, Holidays

Dubai: The countdown has begun to Ramadan 2023, with just a month left to go. With the start of Ramadan, UAE residents are able to enjoy a completely different experience, with charitable activities planned across the country, iftars and suhoors becoming a part of daily life and working hours also being reduced.

Here is a roundup of all you need to know about the expected dates for Ramadan 2023 and the rules and etiquette to follow.

When is Ramadan 2023?

As Ramadan is a month within the Hijri calendar, which is a lunar calendar, the date for when Ramadan starts will officially be announced in the UAE only after the sighting of the moon.

However, as reported by Gulf News, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences (AUASS), expected that Ramadan will begin on March 23, 2023, according to astronomical calculations.

Ramadan working hours – reduced by two hours

As per the UAE’s labour law – Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, private sector workers are normally required to work eight hours per day or 48 hours per week. However, during Ramadan, working hours are reduced by two hours, according to Article 15 (2) of ‘Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 on the implementation of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021’. According to u.ae, non-Muslim workers are also entitled to reduced working hours during Ramadan without a pay cut.

School timings reduced

The school day in Dubai’s private schools will be reduced to a maximum of five hours during Ramadan, according to a circular issued by the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

In the circular, the authority said that the school day must end on Fridays by 12noon in order to accommodate Friday prayer. To read the detailed announcement, click here.

When is the holiday for Eid Al Fitr 2023?

As per the official list of public holidays in the UAE for this year, UAE residents will be able to enjoy the Eid Al Fitr holidays from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3. Shawwal is the month that follows Ramadan in the Hijri calendar.

The exact days of the holiday will depend on when the moon is sighted for the months of Ramadan and Shawwal.