It’s not too early to start planning, here are the predicted dates for the public holidays in the UAE in 2026
While the UAE public holiday dates for 2026 have not been officially announced yet, and many of them will be dependent on moon sightings, we can absolutely predict the dates of them so you can possibly start booking those holidays.
The dates for the beginning of Ramadan 2026, the holy month of fasting, have been predicted by astronomers also. Calculations are telling us that it will begin on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The date is set to mark the first day of Ramadan in the Hijri year 1447. This would then lead to Eid Al Fitr beginning on March 20. Official moon sightings will give the exact dates, however we’ll need to wait until much closer to the time for that.
Predicted public holiday dates for 2026:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Eid Al Fitr: Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22
- Arafat Day: Tuesday May 26
- Eid Al Adha: Wednesday May 27 to Friday May 29
- Islamic New Year: Monday June 15 (official day to fall on Tuesday June 16, holiday moved to start of the week)
- The Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (PBUH): Monday August 24 (official day to fall on Tuesday August 25, holiday could possibly be moved to start of the week)
- National Day: Tuesday December 1 and Wednesday December 2
Can public holidays be moved?
If they fall in the middle of the week, a new law was brought in that public holidays can be moved to the start or the end of the week to allow for a long weekend however this does not apply to Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha.
A public holiday cannot be carried forward if it lands on the date of another public holiday either, however this doesn’t apply to the ones in 2026.
Thinking about school holidays? The academic calendars have been released and the key dates are here.
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