Thousands of residents are gearing up to make the best of the holidays - nine days for the public sector and five for the private sector - on the occasion of Eid Al Adha.

The government declared holidays from Saturday to Wednesday for the public sector while the Manpower Ministry announced a four-day holiday from Saturday to Tuesday for the private sector.

With Thursday and Friday being the weekend for the public sector, they get 10 days and have to report for work on January 6. The private sector employees get five days from Friday to Tuesday and resume work on Wednesday. "It is a long holiday and I will make the best use of them by going on a diving expedition in the Ras Al Hadd area in the east," said Yahya Bin Ali Al Hooti, a keen diver and marine pollution expert.

While some like Al Hooti make the best use of holidays by pursuing their passion, most expatriates take off to neighbouring Dubai and the ongoing Shopping Festival is the biggest attraction. For Indian expatriate Varsha Sheth this is a double boost.

"I will definitely head to Dubai to enjoy the Shopping Festival with my daughters who are in Dubai," she said, adding that she would also like to usher in New Year in Dubai. "It is a different charm altogether," she reckons.

Travel agents are struggling to cope with the rush. "People were anticipating long holidays as Eid Al Adha was also coinciding with the New Year therefore bookings were already there," said senior executive Rudra Dutt of Omani Travels and Tourism Bureau.

He said the sub-continent and the Far East sector was packed. "People are either heading home or to places like Singapore, Malaysia and Bangkok," he said.

And there are others who will start leaving from this afternoon for their villages in the interior. "This is the best time to spend with the family in our own village, it is Eid as well as a long ten-day holiday," said Yousuf Darwish.