The next UAE public holiday is Eid Al Etihad, National Day, on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026. Then comes New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027, and two Eids that could each give you close to a week off: Eid Al Fitr from about 9 March and Eid Al Adha from about 15 May.
Here is every day off from now to the end of 2027, with the long weekends worth planning for: the camp weeks, the beach days and the trips to see family. Islamic holidays follow the moon, so their dates are expected until they are confirmed.
Every public holiday, December 2026 to December 2027
UAE public holidays from December 2026 to December 2027, with the days off and whether each date is fixed or expected
Holiday
Date
Days off
Eid Al Etihad (UAE National Day)2 days
Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026On the official list, confirmed nearer the time
2 days
New Year's Day1 day
Friday 1 January 2027Fixed date
1 day
Eid Al Fitr3 or 4 days
Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March 2027, to Friday 12 March if Ramadan lasts 30 daysExpected: set by moon sighting
3 or 4 days
Arafah Day1 day
Saturday 15 May 2027, or Sunday 16 MayExpected: set by moon sighting
1 day
Eid Al Adha3 days
Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 May 2027, or Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 MayExpected: set by moon sighting
3 days
Hijri New Year (1449)1 day
Sunday 6 June 2027, between Saturday 5 and Monday 7 JuneExpected: set by moon sighting
1 day
The Prophet's Birthday1 day
Saturday 14 August 2027, give or take a dayExpected: set by moon sighting
1 day
Eid Al Etihad (UAE National Day)2 days
Thursday 2 and Friday 3 December 2027On the official list, confirmed nearer the time
2 days
Islamic holidays are set by moon sighting and confirmed shortly before, so their dates can move by a day. The school breaks that are not public holidays, such as spring break from 5 to 11 April 2027, are in the UAE school holidays 2026-27 guide.
The long weekends, and what to do with the kids
National Day: Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026
5 days with Friday off
Wednesday and Thursday are the public holiday and Friday 4 December is a working day for most people. Take the Friday off and you get five days in a row, Wednesday to Sunday.
Schools: Students already have the Friday: the MoE school calendar gives a National Day holiday from 2 to 4 December, so schools are off for five days.
With the kids: Five days of winter sunshine: beach mornings, picnics in the park and an evening at Global Village, open for its new season since 14 October. The Dubai Shopping Festival starts on Friday 4 December.
A three-day weekend, Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January.
Schools: It is the last weekend of the school winter break, 14 December to 3 January; schools start again on Monday 4 January.
With the kids: One last winter-break push: a final camp week, a lazy beach day, or a trampoline park to bounce off the holiday sugar before school starts.
If Ramadan lasts 29 days, the holiday is Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March. If it lasts 30 days, Ramadan 30 is a holiday too and the break runs from Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 March: six days in a row with the weekend.
Schools: The MoE school calendar keeps Monday 8 to Friday 12 March free for students, so with the weekends either side that is nine days, Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 March.
With the kids: Eid clothes, family visits and the last of the cool weather: spring is the time for theme parks, desert days and farm visits before the heat arrives. Global Village runs until May.
Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha: from Saturday 15 May 2027 (expected)
4 or 5 days in a row
If Arafah Day is Saturday 15 May, Eid Al Adha runs Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 May: four days in a row, Saturday to Tuesday. If the moon puts Arafah on Sunday 16, Eid runs to Wednesday 19 May and the break is five days.
Schools: The MoE school calendar gives students 15 to 18 May.
With the kids: By mid-May the days are hot: water parks, soft play and indoor fun by day, and the lit night-swimming beaches once the sun goes down.
Hijri New Year: around Sunday 6 June 2027 (expected)
It is expected between Saturday 5 and Monday 7 June. On a Saturday or Sunday there is no extra day off, because a holiday that falls on the weekend is not moved. On Monday 7 June it makes a three-day weekend.
With the kids: Pool mornings and air-conditioned afternoons: trampoline parks, soft play and indoor fun beat the June heat.
The Prophet's Birthday: mid-August 2027 (expected)
12 Rabi Al Awwal 1449 is Saturday 14 August in the Umm al-Qura calendar. The UAE sets its date by moon sighting, and if it falls on the weekend there is no weekday off.
Schools: It is in the summer holidays: the school year ends on Friday 2 July 2027.
With the kids: Peak camp season: summer camps, swimming squads and indoor days out fill the long, hot weeks.
Schools and government offices. They close. Students follow their school's calendar, and the MoE calendar gives them extra days around National Day and both Eids.
Malls, theme parks, beaches and parks. They are open, and public holidays are their busiest days. Book tickets ahead and go early.
Parking. On recent public holidays the RTA has made Dubai's public parking free, except in multi-storey car parks, announcing it a few days before each holiday.
Weekly classes and clubs. Some pause and some carry on. Ask your child's provider, or book a holiday camp for the long breaks. Holiday camps in Dubai.
Work. The UAE has one list of public holidays for the public and private sectors, so most families get the same days off.
How the dates are set
Two holidays have fixed dates: New Year's Day on 1 January, and National Day on 2 and 3 December. The rest follow the Islamic calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, so they come earlier every year. Each one is confirmed only when the new crescent moon is seen.
Eid Al Fitr is 1 to 3 Shawwal, and “if the month of Ramadan lasts 30 days, day 30 shall be deemed as an official holiday for Eid Al Fitr”. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, a public holiday “cannot be transferred to another day in the event it coincides with another public holiday or falls on the weekend”, in the UAE Government portal's words.
Commemoration Day, on 30 November, honours the UAE's martyrs. It is not on the current list of public holidays. Private schools in Dubai confirm their own days off, because KHDA's calendar treats public holidays as tentative.
Add the holidays to your calendar
Every public holiday on this page, with the Islamic dates marked as expected. Subscribe once and the dates update as they are confirmed.
Eid Al Etihad (UAE National Day), on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026, the dates on the official list. After that comes New Year's Day, on Friday 1 January 2027.
Is National Day 2026 a long weekend?
Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December are the public holiday, and Friday 4 December is a working day for most people, so take the Friday off and it is five days in a row. Students get 2 to 4 December off on the MoE school calendar.
When is Eid Al Fitr 2027 in the UAE?
Eid Al Fitr is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027, depending on the moon. The holiday is expected to run from Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March, or to Friday 12 March if Ramadan lasts 30 days. Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027.
When is Eid Al Adha 2027?
Eid Al Adha is expected on Sunday 16 or Monday 17 May 2027, with Arafah Day the day before. The public holiday is Arafah Day and the three days of Eid.
What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend?
Nothing moves. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, a holiday that falls on the weekend is not transferred to another day. In 2027 that is likely for Hijri New Year and the Prophet's Birthday.
Do private sector employees get the same public holidays?
Yes. The UAE has one list of public holidays for both the public and private sectors.
Is Christmas a public holiday in Dubai?
No, 25 December is not on the UAE list of public holidays. Schools are on their winter break then, from 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Is Commemoration Day a day off?
No. Commemoration Day, on 30 November, honours the UAE's martyrs, but it is not on the current official list of public holidays.
Sources
The rules and fixed dates come from the UAE Government portal, the expected Islamic dates from the UAE Astronomy Centre's projections, and the school days from the MoE and KHDA calendars. Checked on 30 October 2026.