Several countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have instated specific regulations pertaining to New Year celebrations on January 1, 2025. 

Levant 

• In Iraq, January 1 will be an official holiday on occasion of the New Year. 
• The Kurdistan Regional Government stated that government offices will be closed for an official holiday on January 1-2, with regular operations resuming on January 5. 
• In Jordan, the government declared the suspension of the work of in all ministries, official departments, public institutions and bodies, official universities, municipalities and state-owned companies on January 1.  
• In Lebanon, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced the closure of all public offices on January 1. In addition, an official holiday has been declared for January 6 in observance of Christmas for the Armenian community in Lebanon.  
• In Turkey, January 1 has been declared official holiday on occasion of the New Year.  

Maghreb 

• In Egypt, the government reportedly declared January 7 as the official holiday to commemorate Christmas. However, banks across the country will be closed on January 1 to mark the end of the fiscal year. 
• In Libya, there are no public holidays on December 31 – January 1, 2025. Meanwhile, authorities in eastern Libya have reportedly banned New Year’s Eve celebrations.   
• In Morocco and Tunisia, New Year celebrations will take place on January 1. All government and public sector institutions will be closed.  
• In Algeria, the Algerian state media reported that January 1 will be a paid holiday for all public and private institutions across all sectors, on the occasion of New Year.  

Gulf 

• In Bahrain and Kuwait, all government and public sector institutions will be closed on January 1. Official working hours will resume on January 5 in Kuwait.  
• Qatar’s Central Bank announced the closure of all financial institutions across the country on January 1, with all financial institutions resuming work on January 5.  
• In UAE, New Year celebrations will take place between December 31 – January 1. All government and public sector institutions, except those involved in providing public services, as well as the private sector will be closed on January 1. Several central roads in Dubai have instated road closures starting from 16:00 (local time) on December 31. The full list and timings of the closures can be found here. 

The scheduled New Year celebrations, combined with the suspension of work in government ministries, public bodies, and road closures, are likely to result in disruptions to business continuity in the aforementioned countries. In the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the risk of rocket fire targeting Israel by the Houthis in Yemen and/or Hamas in the Gaza Strip remains elevated, given the groups’ sustained operational capabilities and the prevailing anti-Israel sentiment in the region. Their history of conducting attacks on symbolic occasions, including on the previous New Year’s Eve, points to the likelihood of it. If it materializes, such attacks would likely aim to exploit the high footfall during New Year celebrations to maximize casualties.

1. Those operating or residing in the Middle East and North Africa on December 31 – January 1, 2025 are advised to allot for disruptions to business continuity and allocate additional time for travel throughout this period. 
2. Those operating or residing in Israel and the Palestinian Territories should continue adhering to all safety precautions regarding early warning sirens for incoming rockets.