Public holidays
UAE public holidays 2026
The holidays UAE has officially announced for 2026, each linked to the decision or the state news report that set its dates.
| Holiday | Dates | Days | Announced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January 2026 | 1 | |
| Eid Al FitrFollows the Hijri calendar; these are the officially announced dates.The federal government's holiday was set for 19 to 22 March. The private sector's ran to 22 March because Ramadan lasted 30 days, as the Presidential Court announced. | Thursday 19 – Sunday 22 March 2026 | 4 |
|
| Arafat Day and Eid Al AdhaPublic sectorFollows the Hijri calendar; these are the officially announced dates.Federal ministries and entities. Eid Al Adha began on Wednesday 27 May. | Monday 25 – Friday 29 May 2026 | 5 |
|
| Arafat Day and Eid Al AdhaPrivate sectorFollows the Hijri calendar; these are the officially announced dates. | Tuesday 26 – Friday 29 May 2026 | 4 |
|
| The Prophet's BirthdayPublic sectorFollows the Hijri calendar; these are the officially announced dates.Federal ministries and entities, under FAHR Circular No. 11 of 2026. No private-sector announcement was found. | Friday 28 August 2026 | 1 |
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How the dates are checked
Every date comes from an official source: the government decision itself, or the state news agency that published it — WAM in the UAE, SPA in Saudi Arabia, QNA in Qatar, KUNA in Kuwait, BNA in Bahrain and ONA in Oman. Newspapers are never the source, and every row links to the page that states its dates.
Islamic holidays follow the Hijri calendar, so their Gregorian dates are fixed by the sighting of the new moon and announced shortly before. Until then they are marked as depending on the sighting, and can move by a day.
Where a country gives the public and private sectors different holidays, the row says which sector it covers. A holiday whose official announcement could not be found is not listed.