Most religious and public holidays depend on moon-sighting within a given month or week of the Islamic calendar (Hijri), which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Hence, the exact occurrence of most religious or Islamic holidays is known only 24 hours in advance.

Nevertheless the holy month of Ramadan and the ensuing three-day Eid al Fitr are the most significant religious celebrations in Abu Dhabi. Ramadan usually falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri), where Muslims commemorate the revelation of the first verses of the Holy Quran. Followers of Islam abstain from food, drinking and smoking from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. The fast is broken after sunset with a meal called iftaar.

Working hours for businesses are usually shortened by two to three hours during Ramadan, while stores and shops remain closed from 13:00 until after iftar. Most shops and malls, however, remain open until well past midnight during this period. Eid al Fitr is a festive season where family members and relatives gather and give children gifts in kind or in cash and share sumptuous meals together. This holiday also gives residents and visitors ample time to spend with their family by visiting the local parks and having picnics or going to the cinema and malls.

A special holiday, one with a fixed date, is observed across the state on December 2nd of each year, which marks the founding of the union of the United Arab Emirates. The streets are often lit up and decorated days leading up to this special public holiday.

While the emirate does not celebrate Christmas or Diwali, residents enjoy a relatively broad latitude to commemorate these occasions. It is not uncommon to see window shops dressed with perfectly trimmed Christmas trees (and supermarkets brimming with medium- to jumbo-sized turkeys) in December, or to see houses or apartments clad with colourful lights during the Diwali festival. January 1 – New Year’s Day - is also a fixed holiday in Abu Dhabi.