DigiNepal · festivals
UAE Commemoration Day (Martyrs' Day) (يوم الشهيد (Arabic)). Region: United Arab Emirates. Tradition: National day (UAE and GCC cultural list). Calendar: Gregorian (fixed by government decree). Dates: Official holiday (AE) 2026: Monday 30 November 2026 [computed]; Official holiday (AE) 2027: Tuesday 30 November 2027 [computed]; Official holiday (AE) 2028: Thursday 30 November 2028 [computed]. History and significance: Commemoration Day honours Emirati soldiers and civilians who gave their lives in service of the nation. It was established in 2015 and is linked to the first Emirati martyr, Salem Suhail bin Khamis, in 1971. A minute of silence and flag lowering are observed. The public holiday is often moved to adjoin National Day. Key rituals and foods: Flag displays, fireworks, parades, heritage villages and traditional dress; foods include national dishes such as machboos, harees and luqaimat. Date basis: official = matches a government gazetted holiday list; computed = calculated from the calendar system (tithi astronomy with skyfield and JPL DE421, Hijri Umm al-Qura, Chinese, Korean and Hebrew calendar libraries, or the fixed rule); expected = Umm al-Qura projection pending moon sighting. Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata (CC BY-SA, CC0) and government holiday lists, summarised in our own words.