The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi will stay closed on Wednesday, May 28, in observance of Youm-e-Takbeer, a national day that marks Pakistan’s historic nuclear tests conducted on May 28, 1998, in Chagai, Balochistan.
A press release from the embassy stated, “Pakistani Community based in the United Arab Emirates is informed that the Embassy of Pakistan, Abu Dhabi will remain closed on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, being public holiday on the occasion of ‘Youm-e-Takbeer’.”
In Pakistan, the federal government has also declared May 28 a public holiday. The Establishment Division issued a formal notification, while the Sindh government announced closures across all provincial offices, local councils, and government departments.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange will also remain shut in observance of the day. Youm-e-Takbeer is commemorated each year to honor the day Pakistan became a nuclear power, the seventh in the world and the first in the Muslim world.
The tests established Pakistan’s strategic deterrence and are remembered as a defining moment in national defense.
The achievement is often linked to former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s vision, who famously stated that Pakistan would sacrifice anything to become a nuclear power.
Later, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan went ahead with the tests despite global pressure, ensuring regional power balance.