Thursday 29 October will be a paid day off for workers in the private sector on the occasion of Moulid El-Nabi, or the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, said Egypt’s Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan.

Saafan affirmed that, according to law, employers can still require workers to work on the Moulid anniversary with double-wage compensation.

The observance of the birthday of the Prophet is commemorated on the 12th of Rabi' al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar.

The Prophet’s birthday is a holiday widely celebrated across Egypt and the Islamic world.

Egyptians celebrate the event with special sweets.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly had previously declared the Moulid anniversary a day off for public sector workers.