# 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.

## United Arab Emirates public holidays at a glance

United Arab Emirates has 12 public holiday dates in 2026: the first is New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January and the last is National Day on Thursday 3 December. The same data for 2020–2030 is available as JSON from `/api/holidays?country=AE&year=2026`.

## 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](https://whathappen.today/holidays/united-arab-emirates/2026/) · [2027 calendar](https://whathappen.today/holidays/united-arab-emirates/2027/).

## Sources

- [u.ae — Public holidays](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/public-holidays-and-religious-affairs/public-holidays) — official list to confirm dates (checked 2026-10-10)
- [vacanza/holidays (open-source holiday rules, MIT licence)](https://github.com/vacanza/holidays) — holiday rules used to build the lists (checked 2026-10-10)

## 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 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. They depend on the lunar calendar or a moon sighting, and 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](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/public-holidays-and-religious-affairs/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](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/public-holidays-and-religious-affairs/public-holidays). Data: the open-source `holidays` library (MIT), spot-checked against official 2026 calendars.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

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Web page: https://whathappen.today/holidays/united-arab-emirates/