UAE school holidays for 2026-27 start with the October mid-term break from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026 for schools on the unified calendar, then the winter break from Monday 14 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027, and spring break from Monday 5 to Friday 9 April 2027. Eid Al Fitr adds an expected school holiday from 8 to 12 March, and the last day for students is Friday 2 July 2027. Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools, which run from April to March, follow different dates and skip the October break.
At a glance
- Term 1
- 31 August to 11 December 2026
- Mid-term
- 12 to 16 October 2026; back Monday 19 October
- Winter break
- 14 December 2026 to 1 January 2027; back Monday 4 January
- Eid Al Fitr
- 8 to 12 March 2027 (expected, moon sighting)
- Spring break
- 5 to 9 April 2027; back Monday 12 April
- Eid Al Adha
- 15 to 18 May 2027 (expected)
- Last day
- Friday 2 July 2027
- School days
- 185 across three terms
Last verified: 12 October 2026 against the Ministry of Education’s 2026-2027 academic calendar (published August 2026) and the Dubai and Sharjah regulators’ announcements.
On this page
- UAE school holidays 2026-27: every break
- Which calendar does your child’s school follow?
- October mid-term break 2026
- National Day and the winter break
- Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and the spring break
- Term 3 and the end of the year
- How the 2026-27 school year is structured
- Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools
- Plan ahead: the next two school years
- What to do with the kids each break
- Change log
- UAE school holidays FAQs
UAE school holidays 2026-27: every break
These dates come from the Ministry of Education (MoE) academic calendar 2026-2027 for public schools and private schools on the Ministry curriculum. Most Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah private schools on British, American, IB and other September-start curricula follow the same main breaks; the differences are explained further down.
| Break | School days off | Days off with weekends | Back to school |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prophet’s Birthday | Friday 28 August 2026 | Before term starts | Term starts Monday 31 August |
| October mid-term | Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026 | 9 days, 10 to 18 October | Monday 19 October |
| National Day | Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 December 2026 | 5 days, 2 to 6 December | Monday 7 December |
| Winter break | Monday 14 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 | 23 days, 12 December to 3 January | Monday 4 January |
| Eid Al Fitr (expected) | Monday 8 to Friday 12 March 2027 | 9 days, 6 to 14 March | Monday 15 March |
| Spring break | Monday 5 to Friday 9 April 2027 | 9 days, 3 to 11 April | Monday 12 April |
| Eid Al Adha (expected) | Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May 2027 | 4 days, 15 to 18 May | Wednesday 19 May |
| Hijri New Year (expected) | Sunday 6 June 2027 | Falls on a weekend | No school days lost |
| Summer break | From Monday 5 July 2027 | Last day is Friday 2 July | Late August 2027 |
Two dates that differ from the public holidays: the school calendar gives students Friday 4 December off for National Day, a day more than the public holiday on 2 and 3 December, so working parents may need a day of leave. And the Eid dates are expected, not final: they move with the moon sighting, and the Ministry confirms them closer to the time.
Which calendar does your child’s school follow?
| School type | Regulator | Calendar | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools | Ministry of Education and Emirates Schools Establishment | The unified Ministry calendar above | Nothing extra |
| Private schools on the Ministry curriculum | Ministry of Education | The unified Ministry calendar above | Nothing extra |
| Dubai private schools (British, American, IB and others) | KHDA | Same main breaks, approved school by school | Some split the mid-term between October and February |
| Abu Dhabi private schools | ADEK | Same main breaks, approved school by school | Some list Eid Al Fitr week as a “spring half term” |
| Sharjah private schools | Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) | Own calendar: starts 31 August, ends Thursday 1 July 2027 | Spring break is 5 to 8 April; no split mid-term allowed |
| Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools | KHDA, ADEK or SPEA | April to March academic year | No October break; winter break 14 December to 3 January in Dubai |
Every private school publishes its own approved calendar, so treat this page as the framework and your school’s calendar as the final word, especially for staff training days and early finishes before breaks.
October mid-term break 2026
The mid-term break runs from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026, which with the weekends gives nine days off from Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 October. Classes resume on Monday 19 October.
- Split mid-terms: private schools that do not follow the Ministry curriculum can split their mid-term between October and February, as long as the total stays at five school days or fewer. Private schools in Sharjah cannot use this option.
- Dubai schools that moved: several Dubai private schools had originally planned their half-term for 19 to 23 October and moved it forward a week to match the Ministry calendar. If your school’s dates changed, the newer notice is the one that counts.
- Indian curriculum schools: no October break. October is when they sit their half-yearly assessments before moving into term 2.
This year’s mid-term lines up with the start of the outdoor season. Dubai Miracle Garden opened on 8 October, Dubai Safari Park reopened on 12 October and Global Village opens on Wednesday 14 October, so the week is busy. Go on weekday mornings and book timed tickets.
National Day and the winter break
The Ministry calendar gives schools Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 December 2026 off for National Day, which with the weekend makes five days from 2 to 6 December. Term 1 exams run on either side of it, from 25 to 27 November and from 7 to 11 December.
The winter break starts on Monday 14 December 2026 and runs to Friday 1 January 2027, with classes back on Monday 4 January, so New Year’s Day falls inside the break. It is three weeks long, a week shorter than in 2025-26, when it ran from 8 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. The shorter winter break is part of a new three-year calendar designed to give families dates well in advance. Teachers stay in school for training until 18 December and start their own break on 21 December.
Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and the spring break
Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around Monday 8 February. Schools usually shorten the school day during Ramadan, and each school confirms its timings when the month begins. The Ministry calendar sets aside Monday 8 to Friday 12 March as the Eid Al Fitr holiday for schools, which matches the expected date of Eid; with weekends it gives nine days off from 6 to 14 March.
The spring break follows four weeks later, from Monday 5 to Friday 9 April 2027, with students back on Monday 12 April. Sharjah private schools, which do not teach on Fridays, break from Monday 5 to Thursday 8 April.
Term 3 and the end of the year
- Eid Al Adha: expected Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May 2027, so students miss two school days, Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 May.
- Hijri New Year: expected Sunday 6 June 2027, on a weekend.
- Exams: end-of-term exams from 16 to 25 June, then an academic support week from 28 June.
- Younger pupils: kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 finish the curriculum on 11 June and move to enrichment activities until the end of term.
- Last day: Friday 2 July 2027 for students, Thursday 1 July in Sharjah private schools. Results are released on 30 June and 1 July, and resits run from 5 to 8 July.
How the 2026-27 school year is structured
| Term | Dates for students | Weeks | School days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 31 August to 11 December 2026 | 13 | 67 |
| Term 2 | 4 January to 2 April 2027 | 12 | 60 |
| Term 3 | 12 April to 2 July 2027 | 12 | 58 |
| Total | 31 August 2026 to 2 July 2027 | 37 | 185 |
Teachers and administrative staff start a week earlier, on 24 August 2026, and finish on 9 July 2027.
Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools
CBSE, ICSE and Pakistani curriculum schools run their academic year from April to March, so their calendar looks different:
- No October break. Term 1 half-yearly assessments take place in October instead.
- Winter break: in Dubai, the published calendar for April-start schools has the winter break from 14 December 2026, with classes back on 4 January 2027.
- Two long vacations: most Indian curriculum schools have a summer and a winter vacation, both fixed in advance, plus public holidays and any extra days the regulator approves, such as Diwali.
- Board exams begin in February, and the new academic year starts in April.
- Minimum days: Dubai’s Indian curriculum schools must deliver at least 182 instructional days.
Sharjah’s SPEA calendar does not cover Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools, and the Ministry’s unified calendar does not apply to Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi curriculum private schools, so check your school’s own circular.
Plan ahead: the next two school years
The Ministry has approved the calendar for three years, so you can already plan around these dates:
| 2027-28 | 2028-29 | |
|---|---|---|
| First day | Monday 30 August 2027 | Monday 28 August 2028 |
| Mid-term | 11 to 17 October 2027 | 16 to 22 October 2028 |
| Winter break | 13 December 2027 to 2 January 2028 | 11 December 2028 to 1 January 2029 |
| Spring break | 27 March to 2 April 2028 | 26 March to 1 April 2029 |
| Last day | Friday 30 June 2028 | Friday 29 June 2029 |
What to do with the kids each break
| Break | Weather | Good for | Crowd cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| October mid-term | Still hot by day, warm evenings | Season openings, theme parks, evening outings | New openings are packed in the first week |
| National Day | Pleasant | Hatta, desert camping, National Day events | Very busy everywhere; book ahead |
| Winter break | Mild, the best of the year | Beaches, parks, camping, Christmas markets, New Year fireworks | Tourist peak; arrive at opening time |
| Eid Al Fitr | Warm and comfortable | Miracle Garden, mountains, east coast day trips | Eid evenings are the busiest |
| Spring break | Warming up | Beaches in the morning, water parks, last outdoor trips | Busy, with many families travelling |
| Summer | Very hot | Indoor activities and water parks | Quiet outdoors; indoor venues fill up |
- UAE public holidays 2027: every day off for working parents, and the long weekends.
- What’s on this winter: which seasonal attractions are open now.
- Things to do in Dubai with kids: ideas for every age and budget.
- National Day holiday 2026: the 2 and 3 December break for working parents.
- Eid Al Fitr 2027: both holiday scenarios and the 9-day leave plan.
- Eid Al Adha 2027 holiday: expected days off in May.
Change log
- 12 October 2026: page created from the Ministry of Education 2026-2027 academic calendar, the Sharjah Private Education Authority calendar and the Dubai calendar for April-start schools.
UAE school holidays FAQs
When is the October mid-term break 2026 in the UAE?
Schools on the unified calendar are off from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026, and classes resume on Monday 19 October. With the weekends, that is nine days off.
When is the winter break for UAE schools in 2026?
The winter break runs from Monday 14 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027, and students return on Monday 4 January 2027.
When is spring break 2027 in the UAE?
Spring break runs from Monday 5 to Friday 9 April 2027, with classes back on Monday 12 April. Sharjah private schools break from 5 to 8 April.
When is the last day of school in the UAE in 2027?
Friday 2 July 2027 for schools on the unified calendar, and Thursday 1 July 2027 for Sharjah private schools.
Do Indian schools in the UAE get the October mid-term break?
No. CBSE and other Indian curriculum schools run from April to March and hold half-yearly assessments in October. Their next break is the winter break from 14 December.
Why is the UAE winter break shorter this year?
The Ministry of Education’s new three-year calendar cut the winter break from four weeks to three, starting in 2026-27, to keep the school year stable and easier to plan.
Are schools closed on Friday 4 December 2026?
Yes, for schools on the Ministry calendar, which gives students 2 to 4 December off for National Day. The public holiday for workers is only 2 and 3 December.