Public holidays in United Arab Emirates
Official holidays for the public and private sectors. Is today a holiday, what is on this week, and when is the next day off — worked out for Asia/Dubai time.
Today in United Arab Emirates
This week
Coming up
- Thursday 1 January — New Year's Day
- Friday 20 March — Eid al-Fitr estimated
- Saturday 21 March — Eid al-Fitr Holiday estimated
- Sunday 22 March — Eid al-Fitr Holiday estimated
- Tuesday 26 May — Day of Arafah estimated
- Wednesday 27 May — Eid al-Adha estimated
About holidays in United Arab Emirates
Most UAE holidays follow the Islamic (Hijri) calendar and are confirmed only when the crescent moon is sighted, so dates marked estimated can move by a day or two. Since 2022 the official weekend has been Saturday and Sunday, with a half day for government on Friday.
All United Arab Emirates public holidays in 2026
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January | New Year's Day |
| Friday 20 March | Eid al-Fitr estimated |
| Saturday 21 March | Eid al-Fitr Holiday estimated |
| Sunday 22 March | Eid al-Fitr Holiday estimated |
| Tuesday 26 May | Day of Arafah estimated |
| Wednesday 27 May | Eid al-Adha estimated |
| Thursday 28 May | Eid al-Adha Holiday estimated |
| Friday 29 May | Eid al-Adha Holiday estimated |
| Tuesday 16 June | Islamic New Year estimated |
| Tuesday 25 August | Prophet's Birthday estimated |
| Wednesday 2 December | National Day |
| Thursday 3 December | National Day |
Full month-by-month calendars: 2026 calendar · 2027 calendar.
Questions and answers
How many public holidays does United Arab Emirates have in 2026?
This list has 12 holiday dates in 2026. It covers official holidays for the public and private sectors.
Which United Arab Emirates holidays fall on a weekend in 2026?
Eid al-Fitr Holiday (Saturday 21 March); Eid al-Fitr Holiday (Sunday 22 March).
Which dates could still change?
9 dates in 2026 depend on the lunar calendar or a moon sighting and are marked “estimated”: Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr Holiday, Eid al-Fitr Holiday, Day of Arafah, Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Adha Holiday, Eid al-Adha Holiday, Islamic New Year, Prophet's Birthday. The official announcement can move them by a day or two.
Which time zone does “today” use on this page?
Asia/Dubai, the country's time zone. The status box at the top is worked out in your browser from your device clock.
Where are the official dates published?
u.ae — Public holidays. When this page and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
For reference only — governments can add, move or cancel holidays at short notice. Confirm with the official source: u.ae — Public holidays. Data: the open-source holidays library (MIT), spot-checked against official 2026 calendars.