# Dubai Public Holidays



## stamboy (Apr 1, 2013)

I came across this and not sure if it's of interest to anyone. Altogether it's 13 public holidays which seems like a lot to me!


Dubai Public Holidays 2013 Calendar

The Islamic festivals use Islamic lunar calendar as the basis, thus the dates of the festivals keep changing from year to year according to Gregorian (Western) calendar. Since the Islamic festivals are determined through moon-sightings, the dates of certain festivals are usually announced adjacent with the actual dates.

The 2013 Dubai public holidays calendar below is only an estimation. Therefore, we do not and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the Dubai public holidays calendar for the year of 2013.

List Of 2013 Dubai Public Holidays
Below is the list of Dubai public holidays for calendar year 2013

New Year’s Day
International New Year’s Day
Tuesday, 1 January 2013

Milad un Nabi
The birthday of Prophet Muhammad
Thursday, 24 January 2013

Lailat al Miraj
Ascension of the Prophet – Isra Miraj
Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Start of Ramadan
The 1st day of Ramadan according to Islamic lunar calendar
Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Eid-al-Fitr
The end of Ramadan fasting month – Eid-al-Fitr
(3 days public holidays)
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Friday, 9 August 2013
Saturday, 10 August 2013

Arafat (Haj) Day
Arafat Day or Day of Arafa is the second day of the Hajj or Pilgrimage for Muslims.
Monday, 14 October 2013

Eid-al-Adha
Feast of sacrifice in Islamic tradition – Qurban
(3 days public holidays)
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Thursday, 17 October 2013

Al-Hijra
Islamic New Year
Monday, 4 November 2013

UAE National Day
The UAE’s formal independence from the UK
Monday, 2 December 2013


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

stamboy said:


> I came across this and not sure if it's of interest to anyone. Altogether it's 13 public holidays which seems like a lot to me!
> 
> 
> Dubai Public Holidays 2013 Calendar
> ...


That seems about right, not sure about Haj day, I believe we've never got that day off in my company, but maybe other employers or government companies do.

Also keep in mind that is not as sweet as it sounds as all the moon dependant holidays that fall on weekends are usually declared to start on a saturday so that the government sector can have a long weekend (thus causing private employees who work Sun-Thu to lose one of their days off as it 'falls' in a Saturday anyway). 

Also whenever a public holiday falls on a weekend many employers won't give an extra day in compensation.


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## zed_kid (Sep 25, 2012)

cheers for that stam, given me a reason to live here 'till the end of this year at least


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## bish23 (Nov 22, 2012)

Most other information I've read seems to be predicting Thursday 6th June for Lailat al Miraj but as you've rightly pointed out it is based on the lunar cycle so we will just to wait and see. I'm hoping it's Thursday as then it'll be a nice long weekend!
As far as I'm aware not all employers give all public holidays and the above seems to be standard only for government organisations. Happy to be corrected on that though.
Definitely more public holidays falling in the second half of the year so we're nearly over the worst of it!


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

It would be unrealistic and unproductive for companies to give all these holidays. Which is why they stated that if a holiday falls on a weekend, you don't get an extra day off and it's tough luck.

Some companies give a day in lieu and some will offer extra pay for working on the holiday.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

i do love how the Lunar calendar is all 'wait and see' and based on sightings and agreement between scholars etc at the time.

We now when the moon is going to rise, where, and in what phase, every day, for the next several thousand years!


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## zed_kid (Sep 25, 2012)

vantage said:


> We now when the moon is going to rise, where, and in what phase, every day, for the next several thousand years!


Heresy! Burn him!


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

I think stoning is more appropriate in this part of the world.


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Chocoholic said:


> It would be unrealistic and unproductive for companies to give all these holidays. Which is why they stated that if a holiday falls on a weekend, you don't get an extra day off and it's tough luck.


I have been at companies where they just gave you the entire week when the timing of the holiday was just right, I think it was the year before last when the 29th day of Ramadan was a Sunday.

Productivity is not a concern in how many companies make these decisions.



Chocoholic said:


> Some companies give a day in lieu and some will offer extra pay for working on the holiday.


There are laws about public holidays. The days that are declared official public holidays by the government are required days off for everyone. If a person works in an industry that requires staffing every day (e.g., the service industry), employees will receive PTO for that work day (they could be offered extra pay, but that is unlikely and very unusual). This is not the company doing something nice, it is law. So for those of us that work Sun-Thur a holiday on a Sat means we get screwed, but for the person working in a hotel, they get PTO for having to work on Sat.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

fcjb1970 said:


> There are laws about public holidays. This is not the company doing something nice, it is law.


Well sadly they're laws that many many companies don't stick to! I've worked for government companies who never gave us a day in lieu or extra pay for working on a holiday!

Now it's simply not feasible for all our staff to be off, so those that can be off are and the rest of us get extra pay. We don't get days in lieu anymore as people had so many days holiday to take it just wasn't working and you had tens of days rolling over. So they stopped it.


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## stamboy (Apr 1, 2013)

Chocoholic said:


> Now it's simply not feasible for all our staff to be off, so those that can be off are and the rest of us get extra pay. We don't get days in lieu anymore as people had so many days holiday to take it just wasn't working and you had tens of days rolling over. So they stopped it.


Sounds nice ;-)


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

I came across this and not sure if it's of interest to anyone. Altogether it's 13 public holidays which seems like a lot to me!


F*** me you really are in your UAE honeymoon phase aren't you????

Don't worry you'll soon get real

Holidays here suck

Don't think we've had a day off yet (1jan excepted)


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## stamboy (Apr 1, 2013)

Jumeirah Jim said:


> I came across this and not sure if it's of interest to anyone. Altogether it's 13 public holidays which seems like a lot to me!
> 
> 
> F*** me you really are in your UAE honeymoon phase aren't you????
> ...


I'm not there yet so the honeymoon hasn't even started!


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Jumeirah Jim said:


> I came across this and not sure if it's of interest to anyone. Altogether it's 13 public holidays which seems like a lot to me!
> 
> 
> F*** me you really are in your UAE honeymoon phase aren't you????
> ...


Well if you noticed on the list, there has only been one holiday since 1 Jan (Prophet B-day), which you should have gotten off.

All the holidays here fall between end of Ramadan and National Day, but there are a lot of days in that stretch and if the timing is right you can get quite a large number of days off. If the timing is wrong not as much but you will still get days off.

While one person says that her employer did not give them official holiday days off, I have never heard of that. They are required (or to give you pay instead).


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Jumeirah Jim said:


> I came across this and not sure if it's of interest to anyone. Altogether it's 13 public holidays which seems like a lot to me!
> 
> 
> *F*** me you really are in your UAE honeymoon phase aren't you????*
> ...


Love it ! this ought to be a sticky for wide eyed newbies to post in.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

fcjb1970 said:


> Well if you noticed on the list, there has only been one holiday since 1 Jan (Prophet B-day), which you should have gotten off.
> 
> All the holidays here fall between end of Ramadan and National Day, but there are a lot of days in that stretch and if the timing is right you can get quite a large number of days off. If the timing is wrong not as much but you will still get days off.
> 
> While one person says that her employer did not give them official holiday days off, I have never heard of that. They are required (or to give you pay instead).


Well if you re-read my post, I stated that those who can't take the days off, get extra pay instead - which we all actually prefer.

I would ask how you expect and entire country to come to a standstill by giving everyone a day off at once? It's not possible. And also as I stated many companies don't give the days in lieu either, as staff end up with tens of days holiday that never get used.

I have worked for a couple of companies here, where you didn't get the day off, nor got it in lieu, nor did you get extra pay and it was just tough luck.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

stamboy said:


> Start of Ramadan
> The 1st day of Ramadan according to Islamic lunar calendar
> Tuesday, 9 July 2013


Dont think this was ever a holiday


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Chocoholic said:


> Well if you re-read my post, I stated that those who can't take the days off, get extra pay instead - which we all actually prefer.
> 
> I would ask how you expect and entire country to come to a standstill by giving everyone a day off at once? It's not possible. And also as I stated many companies don't give the days in lieu either, as staff end up with tens of days holiday that never get used.


Uh x-mas in the USA and Europe (and many others). Many countries (probably every 1st world country) in the world have days that are holidays given to all employees, and if the employee cannot receive that day they get PTO or pay. You are trying to make something that is commonplace seem outrageous.



Chocoholic said:


> I have worked for a couple of companies here, where you didn't get the day off, nor got it in lieu, nor did you get extra pay and it was just tough luck.


You are the only person I have ever heard make this claim (and you seem proud). The idea that anyone would let an employer get away with not giving them their days off kind of astounds me. You obviously, do not work with locals because they would never accept this.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

fcjb1970 said:


> Uh x-mas in the USA and Europe (and many others).


This is where your argument fails - we're not THERE, we're HERE in the UAE! And it just doesn't work like that.

There are companies that have to run 24/7, 365 days a year - someone has to work.

Not proud of it, it's a fact, plain and simple. And you'd hardly make a complaint against a GOVERNMENT company would you? That's laughable. You don't seem to understand that some companies operate under their own rules and it's just tough and should you question it you're basically told, if you don't like it - leave.

It's the same as saying all companies are supposed to give reduced working hours during Ramadan - not every one does.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Chocoholic said:


> This is where your argument fails - we're not THERE, we're HERE in the UAE! And it just doesn't work like that.
> 
> There are companies that have to run 24/7, 365 days a year -* someone *has to work.
> .


There you go; someone, not everyone

Such 24/7 companies exist everywhere, and those places have public holidays as well. 
I know people forced to work 12 hours a day 29 and a half days per month with no Eid holidays at all
Just because they are forced to work so long does not make it right.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Tropicana said:


> There you go; someone, not everyone
> 
> Such 24/7 companies exist everywhere, and those places have public holidays as well.
> I know people forced to work 12 hours a day 29 and a half days per month with no Eid holidays at all
> Just because they are forced to work so long does not make it right.


I never said it was right! So please don't put words in my mouth! I simply stated that it happens, as others seem to think it doesn't. it does, and it's wide spread here - but it certainly doesn't make it right. And you just reinforced my point of view anyway.


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Chocoholic said:


> This is where your argument fails - we're not THERE, we're HERE in the UAE! And it just doesn't work like that.
> 
> There are companies that have to run 24/7, 365 days a year - someone has to work.
> 
> ...


We must live in different countries because the place I live shuts down during Eid, especially government. And yes I would complain against a government company, if they were doing what you claim.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

fcjb1970 said:


> We must live in different countries because the place I live shuts down during Eid, especially government. And yes I would complain against a government company, if they were doing what you claim.


Well lucky for you! My point simply was, don't assume it's the same for everyone, because it's not.

In our industry holidays are the BIGGEST revenue generators! Therefore people are required to work them. And as I already stated, those than CAN take the holiday do, everyone else gets extra pay. 

As it happens I don't work for the 'nasty' company anymore.

To go back to your other point, I haven't had Christmas or NY's off in about 10 years - that was in the UK as well. It's just standard in my industry. But hey, I'm lucky enough to be doing my dream job, one many would kill for - so I don't really care.


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Chocoholic said:


> Well lucky for you! My point simply was, don't assume it's the same for everyone, because it's not.
> 
> In our industry holidays are the BIGGEST revenue generators! Therefore people are required to work them. And as I already stated, those than CAN take the holiday do, everyone else gets extra pay.
> 
> ...


What are you arguing? You say they get compensated for the holiday, which is exactly what I said. All I ever said was that the standard is PTO and extra pay is less common.

I have never said people don't work on holidays, my OT does on a regular basis because she is in the service industry. I simply said that when they do they receive compensation which usually is PTO.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

All I am picking up on... is the OT. 

_OT__Off Topic (newsgroups, message boards, etc.)__OT__Old Testament__OT__Occupational Therapy__OT__Overtime__OT__Other__OT__On Topic__OT__Over the Top__OT__Offensive Tackle (football)__OT__Occupational Therapist__OT__On Tour__OT__On Target__OT__Outlined (graphic design)__OT__One Time (action code)__OT__Operación Triunfo__OT__Out of Town__OT__Open Top (holster)__OT__Open Top__OT__Old-Timer__OT__Ordinary Time (Catholicism)__OT__Open Type (font format)__OT__Ortsteil (German: Locality)__OT__Original Trilogy (Star Wars)__OT__Oxytocin__OT__Oregon Trail__OT__Oil Tank__OT__Overtone__OT__Operating Thetan (Scientology)__OT__Output Transformer (electronics)__OT__Other Transactions__OT__Oliver Twist__OT__Order Type (mathematics)__OT__Old Tappan (New Jersey)__OT__Optimality Theory (linguistics)__OT__Oral Testimony__OT__Open Transport (networking)__OT__Operating Time__OT__Over Travel__OT__Object Technology__OT__Operation Theater__OT__Organizational Training (Process Area; Capability Maturity Model Integration)__OT__Off Treatment (cancer)__OT__Overseas Territory__OT__Osmium Tetroxide__OT__Order Taker__OT__Omni-Tek (Anarchy Online gaming faction)__OT__Optical Telescope__oT__Ohne Text (German: No Text content)__OT__Overtemperature__OT__Original Trainer (Pokemon)__OT__Office of Telecommunications__OT__Onegai Teacher (anime)__OT__Orientation Tour__OT__Off-Tank (gaming)__OT__Optical Transceiver__OT__Obstructing Traffic (traffic law)__OT__Oberer Totpunkt (German: Top Dead Center)__OT__Ouachita Trail__OT__Observing Tool__OT__Orquesta Típica (Spanish: Typical Orchestra)__OT__Office Terminal (GTE)__OT__Ownership Transition__OT__Opportunity Taken__OT__Observer Trainer (military exercises)__OT__Observer-Target__OT__Okinawa-Te (martial art style)__OT__Optical Tracker__OT__Orascom Telecom Holding SAE (stock symbol)__OT__The Overthere (Everquest)__OT__Oregon Trunk Railway__OT__Orchestra Toronto (Canada)__OT__Organisasi Terlarang (Indonesian: prohibited organization)__OT__Operational Threshold__OT__Original Tracing__OT__Optical Transponder__OT__Orbital Telescope__OT__Operational Test/ing__OT__Ortho Technician__OT__Optical Translator__OT__Optical Terminator (O/E Land, Inc)__OT__Otelco Telecommunications LLC__OT__Officer Trainee/Training__OT__(USN Rating) Ocean Systems Technician__OT__Osservatorio Astronomico de Torino (Italian)__OT__Operation Team (various organizations)_


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Jynxgirl said:


> All I am picking up on... is the OT.
> 
> _OT__Off Topic (newsgroups, message boards, etc.)__OT__Old Testament__OT__Occupational Therapy__OT__Overtime__OT__Other__OT__On Topic__OT__Over the Top__OT__Offensive Tackle (football)__OT__Occupational Therapist__OT__On Tour__OT__On Target__OT__Outlined (graphic design)__OT__One Time (action code)__OT__Operación Triunfo__OT__Out of Town__OT__Open Top (holster)__OT__Open Top__OT__Old-Timer__OT__Ordinary Time (Catholicism)__OT__Open Type (font format)__OT__Ortsteil (German: Locality)__OT__Original Trilogy (Star Wars)__OT__Oxytocin__OT__Oregon Trail__OT__Oil Tank__OT__Overtone__OT__Operating Thetan (Scientology)__OT__Output Transformer (electronics)__OT__Other Transactions__OT__Oliver Twist__OT__Order Type (mathematics)__OT__Old Tappan (New Jersey)__OT__Optimality Theory (linguistics)__OT__Oral Testimony__OT__Open Transport (networking)__OT__Operating Time__OT__Over Travel__OT__Object Technology__OT__Operation Theater__OT__Organizational Training (Process Area; Capability Maturity Model Integration)__OT__Off Treatment (cancer)__OT__Overseas Territory__OT__Osmium Tetroxide__OT__Order Taker__OT__Omni-Tek (Anarchy Online gaming faction)__OT__Optical Telescope__oT__Ohne Text (German: No Text content)__OT__Overtemperature__OT__Original Trainer (Pokemon)__OT__Office of Telecommunications__OT__Onegai Teacher (anime)__OT__Orientation Tour__OT__Off-Tank (gaming)__OT__Optical Transceiver__OT__Obstructing Traffic (traffic law)__OT__Oberer Totpunkt (German: Top Dead Center)__OT__Ouachita Trail__OT__Observing Tool__OT__Orquesta Típica (Spanish: Typical Orchestra)__OT__Office Terminal (GTE)__OT__Ownership Transition__OT__Opportunity Taken__OT__Observer Trainer (military exercises)__OT__Observer-Target__OT__Okinawa-Te (martial art style)__OT__Optical Tracker__OT__Orascom Telecom Holding SAE (stock symbol)__OT__The Overthere (Everquest)__OT__Oregon Trunk Railway__OT__Orchestra Toronto (Canada)__OT__Organisasi Terlarang (Indonesian: prohibited organization)__OT__Operational Threshold__OT__Original Tracing__OT__Optical Transponder__OT__Orbital Telescope__OT__Operational Test/ing__OT__Ortho Technician__OT__Optical Translator__OT__Optical Terminator (O/E Land, Inc)__OT__Otelco Telecommunications LLC__OT__Officer Trainee/Training__OT__(USN Rating) Ocean Systems Technician__OT__Osservatorio Astronomico de Torino (Italian)__OT__Operation Team (various organizations)_


oops OH


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## stamboy (Apr 1, 2013)

So in summary what is the "norm" with regards to public holidays. Are we saying yes there are approx 12 or 13 days but you don't get all of them off. However, if you don't most companies either pay you or let you have a day off in lieu.

Or are we saying that if it lands on a weekend then tough luck you won't get a day off in lieu of get paid?


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

stamboy said:


> Or are we saying that if it lands on a weekend then tough luck you won't get a day off in lieu of get paid?


That is the norm. 

If a holiday falls on say Thur-Sat, it is possible you will only get Thursday and you would not get extra days or pay because the holiday was on the weekend.

I would guess that Aug 7, 8 will end up being holidays. The 30th day of Ramadan is a public holiday which should be the 7th.


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## stamboy (Apr 1, 2013)

Thanks all


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## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

A few years ago the laws changed. It used to be that if the holiday fell on a weekend, the days off were carried over to a working day. 

Sadly not the case any more


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## stamboy (Apr 1, 2013)

Ogri750 said:


> A few years ago the laws changed. It used to be that if the holiday fell on a weekend, the days off were carried over to a working day.
> 
> Sadly not the case any more


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## Jager (May 26, 2012)

Shouldn't we be focusing on the fact we have holiday coming up in a couple of weeks.

What do people do on publich olidays other than hitting the malls. Do any of the hotels offer brunches on Public Holidays ?

Perhaps its the perfect day for an 'Entertainer Roulette' event.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Does anyone remember about 5 years ago when all the Eid holidays and the National Day holidays fell together such that banks and other business were closed for a stretch of approx. 12 days.. Ramadan ended in the last week of November and then National day, the first week in December .. ever since that stretch the rules seemed to have changed..


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## msbettyboopdxb (Mar 22, 2009)

saraswat said:


> Does anyone remember about 5 years ago when all the Eid holidays and the National Day holidays fell together such that banks and other business were closed for a stretch of approx. 12 days.. Ramadan ended in the last week of November and then National day, the first week in December .. ever since that stretch the rules seemed to have changed..


I sure do. Good memory


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

Jager said:


> Shouldn't we be focusing on the fact we have holiday coming up in a couple of weeks.
> 
> What do people do on publich olidays other than hitting the malls. Do any of the hotels offer brunches on Public Holidays ?
> 
> Perhaps its the perfect day for an 'Entertainer Roulette' event.


Sadly, as most hols are religious, it is usually dry for the first 24 hrs


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Thank God, or whichever percieved dietyyou chose to either worship or ignore, that in my line of work i get neither public holidays nor extra pay for working my shifts. The good point is that i'm usually working on the dry days and rarely have to deal with the holiday Mall situation. 
I agree with Chocoholic, a few people on here don't realise that 24 hour a day jobs just don't stop for a long weekend and some people don"t make any profit off a prophet.


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## zed_kid (Sep 25, 2012)

so we're getting stitched up for eid? only Thursday is a day off?


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