UAE Public Holidays 2026-2027: Confirmed Dates and Long Weekends

How UAE public holidays are confirmed

The UAE has two categories of public holiday. New Year (1 January), Commemoration Day (1 December), and National Day (2–3 December) are fixed-date holidays set by UAE law and their dates are known in advance. Islamic calendar holidays (Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, and Mawlid An-Nabi) are announced by UAE authorities following the official crescent moon sighting, typically one to two weeks before the date.

FAHR (Federal Authority for Government Human Resources) issues the official holiday circular for federal government entities. MoHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) issues the corresponding announcement for the private sector. The two announcements can differ by one day for Islamic holidays.

Who gets which holiday

Federal government scope and private sector scope are not always identical. In 2026, Eid Al Adha started on Monday 25 May for federal employees (FAHR) but on Tuesday 26 May for private sector employees (MoHRE). Schools and other regulated sectors follow their own regulators (for example, KHDA for Dubai private schools).

2026 confirmed by FAHR (federal government scope)

Source for all three: official FAHR announcements (see source section below). Eid Al Adha 2026 calendar dates are in the [May 2026 UAE Calendar](/calendar/may-2026-uae-calendar).

2026 fixed dates by statute

The December holiday scope (including any bridge days) depends on the FAHR November 2026 announcement. The three statutory days (Tue-Thu) sit adjacent to a working Friday. A bridge day is not guaranteed.

2026 monitoring dates (not confirmed)

Islamic calendar holiday dates for the rest of 2026 are not yet confirmed. These dates are estimates only and must not be treated as confirmed without official FAHR or WAM announcement.

2027 dates

All 2027 Islamic holiday dates are provisional and moon-dependent. No FAHR 2027 announcements exist as of May 2026. New Year 2027 (1 January, Friday) is a fixed statutory date; the 2027 holiday scope will be announced by FAHR, expected November-December 2026.

What residents should check

• Your employment sector (federal government vs private sector) determines which holiday announcement applies to you.
• For Islamic calendar holidays, wait for the official FAHR or MoHRE announcement before booking travel or planning leave. Dates announced in advance by Islamic calendar calculators are estimates, not confirmed.
• For Commemoration Day and National Day 2026, the dates (1-3 December) are fixed, but whether there is a bridge day depends on the FAHR November 2026 announcement.
• If your employer or school follows a different regulator (for example, KHDA for Dubai private schools), check that regulator's announcement separately.

Business planning

Federal government offices and most government service centres (ICA, Amer, Tasheel) adjust their hours or close during official FAHR holiday periods. Online government portals generally remain accessible.

For National Day and Commemoration Day (1-3 December 2026), plan document submissions and government approvals for the week before (by Monday 25 November at latest) to avoid the holiday window.

What not to assume

• That all employees get the same holiday dates. Federal, private sector, and school-sector dates are confirmed separately by different authorities and can differ by one day.
• That Islamic calendar date estimates are confirmed. A date listed in an Islamic calendar app is an estimate. Only a FAHR or WAM announcement is confirmed.
• That a remote working day is the same as a public holiday. FAHR confirmed a remote working arrangement on Friday 2 January 2026. This is not a public holiday.
• That government offices re-open immediately after the last holiday day. Some federal entities use the day after a holiday for administrative catch-up.

Sources

Confirmed 2026 holiday dates are sourced from official FAHR announcements:

• New Year 2026: https://www.fahr.gov.ae/en/news/fahr-announces-new-year-2026-holiday-for-the-federal-government/
• Eid Al Fitr 2026: https://www.fahr.gov.ae/en/news/eid-al-fitr-holiday-in-the-federal-government-from-19-to-22-march-2026/
• Eid Al Adha 2026 (federal): https://www.fahr.gov.ae/en/news/the-federal-authority-for-human-resources-announces-the-eid-al-adha-holiday-for-the-federal-government-from-may-25-29-2026/

UAE holiday framework: Cabinet Resolution No. (27) of 2024 (cited in FAHR announcements). UAE government public holidays reference: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/public-holidays-and-religious-affairs/public-holidays

All monitoring-status dates are estimates based on the Islamic calendar. These must not be treated as confirmed without official FAHR or WAM announcement.