Some things are easier to watch than to look up. A number that shrinks in front of you turns an abstract date into something you can feel, which is why this section keeps five kinds of countdown running: to the top of the current hour, to the next occurrence of a chosen weekday, to the next public holiday in the Emirates, to the next change of season, and to any date and time you enter yourself.
The holiday countdown behaves unlike its equivalent anywhere in Europe, because most of the list is lunar. Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the Islamic New Year and the Prophet's birthday all move about eleven days earlier each Gregorian year, so a holiday that fell in late spring drifts into winter over the course of a decade. Only three fixed dates hold still: New Year's Day on 1 January, Commemoration Day on 1 December and National Day on the second and third of the same month, which is why the end of the year is dependable in a way the middle of it is not.
What is running here
- The hour countdown, always aimed at the next o'clock
- Weekday countdowns, from the next Monday through to the next Sunday
- The next public holiday, using the announced dates rather than an estimate
- The next season, taking the astronomical equinox and solstice
- A custom countdown to any moment you choose
The season countdown needs a caveat in this part of the world. The astronomical dates are real enough — the June solstice is the longest day here as everywhere in the northern hemisphere — but they describe the calendar rather than the weather. The change most people in the Emirates actually feel arrives in late October or early November, when the humidity finally breaks and the balconies fill again, and it leaves in April rather than in June.
Every countdown recalculates from your own device's clock for as long as the tab stays open. The recurring ones roll straight over to the next occurrence at zero; a one-off countdown simply reports that the moment has arrived and stops there.
Common questions
How do I count down to my own date?
Use the custom countdown, enter the date and time, and it will run live from that point until the moment arrives.
Which holiday does the holiday countdown point at?
The next one on the announced Cabinet list. Because most UAE holidays are lunar, the target moves about eleven days earlier each Gregorian year.
How reliable are Eid dates in advance?
The range is published well ahead, but the exact day depends on the sighting of the new moon and is normally confirmed only a day or two before, which is why the countdown can shift late.
Do the season countdowns use the solstice or the first of the month?
The solstice and equinox dates. They describe the calendar rather than the local weather, which changes closer to November and April here.
What happens when a countdown finishes?
The recurring ones — the hour, the weekdays, the holidays — reset and start counting towards the following occurrence. A one-off countdown reports that the moment has arrived and stops.
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