"Muslim country"?
You will find there is a distinction - there many muslim majority countries with secular "non-muslim" governements.
Then there are governments who rule by islamic law - sharia countries.
There is a big difference.
UAE is a sharia country - the government is run based on islam. Christmas will never be a public holiday in an islamic government/sharia country. I don't know if any muslim majority nations do, but it would not be impossible, as their rules are not based solely in islam. Definitely not possible in a sharia country. The whole reason our weekends are Friday and Saturday is to avoid "resting" on Sunday which could be mistaken as slightly Christian. If you can't have a Sunday weekend, you're sure not getting a Christmas day public holiday :)
<em>edited by punchbiffpow on 21/12/2011</em>
Agreed - definitely a working day, not a public holiday - if you want it off, you need to take an annual leave. Some companies may informally give their staff the day (e.g. my friend works for a UK-based law firm who have an office here and although not a public holiday here they do get the day off and the office closes).
Thanks very much.
Maybe I thought so, because last year my hubby worked for a UK company and the office was closed on the 25th and 26th.
My sister living in Turkey also had always the 25th and 26th off, even given the fact she and another colleague where the only Christians among 25 other employees.
Business as usual for most places (small shops and salons may be closed depending on the owner), but big businesses, shopping malls, etc are all open.
January 1st is a holiday for everyone though.
No - we're qasi-government and I'm working... Depends on your company/management though, as last year I got the day off (but not 26th) as it was a UK based comapny.
I wouldn't have thought that it will be a holiday - I know people who are working on the 25th - my office is closed on the 25th and 26th but that was a decision taken by our MD.