Egypt announces one-week holiday for public sector on Eid El-Adha starting 9 July

Ahram Online , Monday 4 Jul 2022

Public employees across Egypt will be taking a one-week paid holiday on the occasion of Eid El-Adha from Saturday 9 July to Thursday 14 July as per a decision by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Monday.

An Egyptian man sells baloons as Muslim devotees gather for prayer on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in the Heliopolis neighbourhood, in the capital Cairo, on May 2, 2022. AFP

The decision applies to employees at ministries, government departments, public authorities, local administration units, public sector companies, and public business sector companies, a Cabinet statement read.

However, exams for students nationwide will continue according to the schedule set by the relevant authorities.

With Friday already being part of the country’s weekend for the public sector, employees will return to work after the Eid holiday starting Saturday.

The Ministry of Religious Endowments announced on Sunday allowing the Eid El-Adha’s prayers at large mosques and outdoor spaces for men, women, and children.

The Eid prayers for the 1443 of the Hijri calendar will be held on early Saturday morning around 5:26am in Greater Cairo with slight differences in time in other governorates.

Eid El-Adha is one of the two religious holidays in Islam, which falls on the tenth day of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.

Eid El-Adha marks the beginning of the annual hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God.