Calendar · Full list · National holidays · Islamic holidays · Long weekends · How holidays are decided · FAQs
If you run an office in the UAE or manage a team here, the public holiday calendar shapes your year. It decides leave approvals, payroll cutoffs, project deadlines and office closures.
This list of public holidays in the UAE covers every public holiday for 2026 and 2027 in one place, with the dates, the days off and the long weekends. It is written for corporates, offices, employees and HR teams who need dates they can plan around.
One caution before you plan: Islamic holiday dates depend on the moon sighting and are confirmed by official announcements closer to each occasion. Dates marked expected for 2027 are forecasts and may move by a day.
UAE Holiday Calendar
Use the calendar below to see and track every holiday at a glance. Click any green date for the details.
Public holiday Weekend Today
Reading the calendar: green dates are public holidays and grey cells are Saturdays and Sundays. The calendar below covers 2026, the current year. The 2027 dates are listed in the tables below and in the holiday guide sections.
Public Holidays in the UAE: Complete List
The tables below give the full list at a glance. Click any holiday name to jump to its guide section.
2026 public holidays
| Holiday | Date | Day | Days off | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January | Thursday | 1 | National |
| Eid Al Fitr | 20 to 22 March | Friday to Sunday | 3 | Islamic |
| Arafat Day | 26 May | Tuesday | 1 | Islamic |
| Eid Al Adha | 27 to 29 May | Wednesday to Friday | 3 | Islamic |
| Hijri New Year | 15 June | Monday | 1 | Islamic |
| Prophet’s Birthday | 28 August | Friday | 1 | Islamic |
| UAE National Day | 2 to 3 December | Wednesday to Thursday | 2 | National |
2027 public holidays
Dates marked with * are expected dates based on astronomical forecasts. They will be confirmed by official moon sighting announcements.
| Holiday | Date | Day | Days off | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January | Friday | 1 | National |
| Eid Al Fitr | 9 to 11 March* | Tuesday to Thursday | 3 | Islamic |
| Arafat Day | 15 May* | Saturday | 1 | Islamic |
| Eid Al Adha | 16 to 18 May* | Sunday to Tuesday | 3 | Islamic |
| Hijri New Year | 7 June* | Monday | 1 | Islamic |
| Prophet’s Birthday | 16 August* | Monday | 1 | Islamic |
| UAE National Day | 2 to 3 December | Thursday to Friday | 2 | National |
National Holidays
These holidays follow the Gregorian calendar, so their dates are fixed every year. They mark the country itself: its new year, its fallen soldiers and its founding.
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day marks the start of the Gregorian year and is a one day public holiday across the UAE. Offices close, and the night before is the biggest fireworks night of the year, led by the Burj Khalifa show in Dubai and celebrations in Abu Dhabi.
It fell on Thursday 1 January in 2026. In 2027 it falls on Friday 1 January, which gives most employees a three day weekend with Saturday and Sunday.
For offices and HR: treat 1 January as a fixed closure in the annual calendar. In 2026, federal government staff also had Friday 2 January as a remote work day, and Sharjah government staff, who already have Friday in their weekend, received a four day break. Check the specific announcement each year for these extras.
UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad)
UAE National Day, now called Eid Al Etihad, marks the unification of the emirates on 2 December 1971. It is a two day holiday, and the biggest national celebration of the year, with fireworks, parades, flag displays and cultural shows across all seven emirates. The official theme is Spirit of the Union.
In 2026 the country marks its 55th National Day on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December. Take Friday 4 December off and the break stretches to five days. In 2027 the 56th National Day falls on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 December, which naturally creates a four day weekend with Saturday and Sunday.
For offices and HR: this is the most visible office celebration of the year. Plan closures early, and expect heavy travel demand and hotel bookings around the break.
Commemoration Day: an observance, not a day off
Commemoration Day on 30 November honours Emirati soldiers who died in service to the country. It is marked with ceremonies and a minute of silence across the emirates.
It is important to get this one right for rostering: Commemoration Day is not one of the seven statutory paid holidays under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. Older holiday lists still show it as a day off, because it was a paid holiday under the earlier 2019 resolution. Do not roster 30 November or 1 December as a paid holiday unless a specific Cabinet or local government announcement grants a day off that year.
Islamic Holidays
These holidays follow the lunar Hijri calendar, so they move earlier by about 10 to 11 days every year. Their exact Gregorian dates are confirmed by official moon sighting, and MOHRE and FAHR then announce the paid days for the private sector and federal government.
Eid Al Fitr
Eid Al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It is a family occasion built around prayers, gatherings, charity and festive meals, and it is one of the two great Eid festivals of the year. The holiday covers Shawwal 1 to 3.
In 2026 it fell on Friday 20 to Sunday 22 March, a ready made three day weekend. In 2027 it is expected around Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March, possibly extending to Friday 12 March if Ramadan runs 30 days, since day 30 of Ramadan is then also a holiday.
For offices and HR: Eid Al Fitr is a peak travel period. Publish the internal dates only after the official announcement, and expect a wave of leave requests in the days around it.
Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha
Arafat Day on 9 Dhul Hijjah is the pinnacle of the Hajj pilgrimage, when pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat. It is followed by Eid Al Adha on 10 to 12 Dhul Hijjah, the Festival of Sacrifice, which commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son. Together they form the longest holiday block of the year.
In 2026 the block ran from Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 May. Note the sector difference that year: private sector staff received those 4 days, while federal government staff received 5 days, from Monday 25 to Friday 29 May, which with the weekends became a nine day break. In 2027 the block is expected from Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May, a four day break including Arafat Day.
For offices and HR: this is the break where staggered leave matters most. Agree cover for essential roles early, because whole teams tend to request the same days.
Hijri New Year (Islamic New Year)
Hijri New Year on 1 Muharram marks the start of the Islamic lunar year and recalls the Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Makkah to Madinah. It is a quieter, more reflective occasion than the Eids, and it is a one day holiday.
In 2026 the religious date fell on Tuesday 16 June, and the Cabinet moved the paid holiday to Monday 15 June under the transfer rule, creating a three day weekend. In 2027 the religious date falls on Sunday 6 June, and the paid holiday is likely to be moved to Monday 7 June for the same reason. That transfer is expected, not yet confirmed.
For offices and HR: Hijri New Year is the clearest example of the transfer rule in action. Watch the FAHR and MOHRE announcement rather than the religious date when you set the office closure.
Prophet’s Birthday (Mawlid Al Nabawi)
Prophet’s Birthday on 12 Rabi Al Awwal marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad. It is observed with religious gatherings, sermons, readings and charity, and it is a one day holiday.
In 2026 the religious date fell on Tuesday 25 August, and the paid holiday was moved to Friday 28 August, giving a three day weekend. That announcement came from the UAE Government Media Office on 7 August. In 2027 the religious date falls on Saturday 14 August, and the paid holiday is likely to be moved to Monday 16 August. That transfer is expected, not yet confirmed.
For offices and HR: in 2026 this holiday fell in the final week of the school summer break, just before the new academic year started on 31 August. It is a useful reminder to cross check holiday dates against the school calendar when planning family leave.
Long Weekends and Leave Planning for Offices
Public holidays alone give 12 paid days a year. Paired with weekends and a few leave days, they stretch much further. Here are the breaks worth building the leave planner around.
Long weekends still to come in 2026
UAE National Day, Wednesday 2 to Thursday 3 December, plus one leave day on Friday 4 December, gives five days off from Wednesday to Sunday.
Long weekends in 2027
New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January gives a three day weekend. Eid Al Fitr, expected 9 to 11 March, plus the weekends on either side, can reach six days with a little leave. Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha, expected 15 to 18 May, give four days with no leave needed. Hijri New Year, expected Monday 7 June, gives a three day weekend. Prophet’s Birthday, expected Monday 16 August, gives a three day weekend. National Day, Thursday 2 to Friday 3 December, gives a four day weekend.
Smart leave planning turns a modest allowance into long breaks. Published guides estimate that 9 leave days, placed against the 2027 holidays and weekends, can produce around 38 days off across the year.
HR checklist for the holiday calendar
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How UAE Public Holidays Are Decided
All of this sits on one legal base: Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, in force from 1 January 2025. It replaced the 2019 resolution and unified the holiday list for the public and private sectors.
The resolution lists exactly seven occasions: Gregorian New Year, Eid Al Fitr, Arafat Day, Eid Al Adha, Hijri New Year, Prophet's Birthday and National Day. Together they give 12 paid days, or 13 if Ramadan runs 30 days.
Two rules shape the calendar every year. First, the transfer rule: except for the two Eids, the Cabinet may move a holiday to the start or end of the week to create a long weekend. The 2026 moves of Hijri New Year to Monday 15 June and Prophet's Birthday to Friday 28 August are real examples. Second, the weekend rule: if a holiday falls on a weekend or clashes with another holiday, it is not automatically moved, and no day in lieu is given unless a separate decree says so.
Local governments may also declare extra holidays for their own departments. That is how one off extras, like a remote work day or an additional December day, appear in some years.
For Islamic holidays, the sequence is always the same: the moon sighting fixes the Hijri date, then MOHRE announces the paid days for the private sector and FAHR announces them for federal government staff, usually through the UAE Government Media Office.
What Is Not a Public Holiday
A few dates cause regular confusion in offices, so they are worth naming clearly.
Commemoration Day on 30 November is a national observance, not a statutory paid holiday, as explained above.
Isra and Miraj, the Night Journey, is a religious observance in the month of Rajab. It is not a paid public holiday under the current resolution.
Christmas Day is not an official UAE public holiday either, although many international companies grant it as company leave.
School holidays run on a separate calendar set by the education authorities, with winter, spring and summer breaks that do not always line up with public holidays. Check the school calendar separately when planning family leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays are there in the UAE in 2026?
There are 12 paid public holidays in the UAE in 2026, spread across 7 occasions: New Year's Day (1 January), Eid Al Fitr (20 to 22 March), Arafat Day (26 May), Eid Al Adha (27 to 29 May), Hijri New Year (15 June), Prophet's Birthday (28 August), and National Day (2 and 3 December). The total rises to 13 in a year when Ramadan runs 30 days, because the 30th day of Ramadan is added to Eid Al Fitr. That extra day did not apply in 2026, when Eid Al Fitr ran 20 to 22 March.
Do public and private sector employees get the same holidays?
Yes, the same list applies to both sectors under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. The exact paid days can still differ in rare cases. In 2026, for example, federal government staff received 5 days for Eid Al Adha while private sector staff received 4 days.
Are UAE public holidays paid days off?
Yes. Staff who must work on a public holiday are generally owed a replacement day off or extra pay under the labour law. Check the employment contract and the current MOHRE rules for the exact treatment.
Why do Islamic holiday dates change every year?
Islamic holidays follow the lunar Hijri calendar, which is about 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Each Islamic holiday therefore moves earlier by about 10 to 11 days every year, and the exact date is confirmed by official moon sighting.
What happens if a public holiday falls on a weekend?
Under Article 3 of the resolution, the holiday is not automatically moved to a working day and no day in lieu is given, unless the Cabinet issues a separate decree.
When are the 2027 holiday dates confirmed?
MOHRE for the private sector and FAHR for federal government staff announce the exact paid days closer to each occasion, through official circulars and the UAE Government Media Office. Forecast dates in this article may move by a day once the moon sighting is confirmed.
We will update the 2027 dates in this article as official announcements confirm them. Islamic dates in this article are based on official announcements where available and on astronomical forecasts where marked expected.
