UAE public holidays 2026: All the predicted days off next year
Curious which days you’ll have off next year? We don’t blame you. It’s never too early to decide what you are going to cook.
Each year the UAE public holiday law penciles in the official days off we all enjoy on Dubai and other Emirates’ calendars.
In 2026, that will mean a minimum of 12 official days off — including on bumper six-day long weekend in May.
The United Arab Emirates has a combination of holidays: some follow the Islamic Hijri calendar, while others are based on the Gregorian calendar.
Unlike Gregorian calendar that is based on the sun, Islamic Hijri is a lunar calendar.
There isn’t an exact date for the Islamic New Year because the holiday depends on lunar sightings and not everyone agrees in advance when the new moon has been seen.
But astronomers can forecast when these events should start a little ahead of time.
2026 Public Holidays
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Thu | New Year’s Day |
| 18 Mar | Wed | Eid al-Fitr Holiday |
| 19 Mar | Thu | Eid al-Fitr Holiday |
| 20 Mar | Fri | Eid al-Fitr |
| 21 Mar | Sat | Eid al-Fitr Holiday |
| 22 Mar | Sun | Eid al-Fitr Holiday |
| 26 May | Tue | Arafat Day |
| 27 May | Wed | Eid al-Adha |
| 28 May | Thu | Eid al-Adha Holiday |
| 29 May | Fri | Eid al-Adha Holiday |
| 16 Jun | Tue | Islamic New Year |
| 25 Aug | Tue | Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday |
| 2 Dec | Wed | National Day |
| 3 Dec | Thu | National Day Holiday |
| Visit gov.ae for the original release. | ||
When are the UAE public holidays 2026?
The estimated expected dates for public holidays in the UAE in accordance with the newly passed public holiday law announced in April 2024 and implemented starting January 2025.
If we are to going by current predictions, then it will be a three day weekend for Eid Al Fitr.
Eid Al Adha and Arafat Day We can expect a stonking six-day long weekend when we factor in Saturday and Sunday too.
And, that only more five advertised public holiday dates along 2026 to split up the working week!
It’s expected the Islamic New Year and The Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (PBUH) will fall on a Tuesday, so we can probably expect them to be shifted earlier in the week to grant us all a super long weekend.
According to current forecasts, most public holidays in the UAE for 2026 are not expected to land on a weekend but this could change subject to moon sightings.
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