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🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates Public Holidays 2026

United Arab Emirates has 12 nationwide public holidays in 2026 — 10 on a weekday and 2 at a weekend. One of them falls on a Friday or a Monday, so the weekend beside them runs to three days without using any leave. The full calendar is below, with the date, the weekday and the local name for every holiday, followed by a month-by-month guide to what closes.

Planning around United Arab Emirates's holidays

On public holidays, banks, government offices and many businesses in the United Arab Emirates close, and transport may run on reduced schedules. For remote workers, holidays are a good time to explore — but a poor time to rely on local services or official appointments. Check the dates above before booking visa appointments or important meetings.

United Arab Emirates nomad & visa guide →

Public holidays in other countries

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Is today a public holiday in the United Arab Emirates?

Checked on Wednesday 5 August 2026: no, that day is not a public holiday in the United Arab Emirates. The next public holiday in the United Arab Emirates after that date is Prophet's Birthday (estimated) (عيد المولد النبوي (تقديري)) on Tuesday 25 August 2026 — 20 days later. The day after, Thursday 6 August, is not a public holiday either.

The answer above is rechecked against the published United Arab Emirates holiday dates every time this page loads, so what it says about today and tomorrow stays current.

The next public holidays in the United Arab Emirates after 5 August 2026:

  • Prophet's Birthday (estimated) (عيد المولد النبوي (تقديري)) — Tuesday 25 August 2026
  • National Day (اليوم الوطني) — Wednesday 2 December 2026
  • National Day (اليوم الوطني) — Thursday 3 December 2026
  • New Year's Day (رأس السنة الميلادية) — Friday 1 January 2027
  • Eid al-Fitr (estimated) (عيد الفطر (تقديري)) — Tuesday 9 March 2027

United Arab Emirates public holidays are also called UAE public holidays, United Arab Emirates national holidays or the United Arab Emirates holiday calendar. This page is the United Arab Emirates holiday calendar for 2026, with the 2027 dates below.

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates's public holidays in 2026 at a glance

United Arab Emirates has 12 nationwide public holidays in 2026. That puts United Arab Emirates joint 55th out of the 100 countries we track, level with 13 others. The median across those 100 is 13, so this is a short list. 10 fall on a weekday and 2 on a Saturday or Sunday. The year opens with New Year's Day on 1 January and closes with National Day on 3 December. May is the busiest month with 4. Nothing at all falls in February, April, July, September, October or November. 9 dates are marked “estimated”: these follow the Islamic calendar and are confirmed only when the new moon is sighted, so the official day can move by one either way. This list covers holidays observed across the whole country. Many countries add regional or state holidays on top, and whether a given day is paid depends on your employer, so check locally before you book around it.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in January 2026

New Year's Day (رأس السنة الميلادية) on 1 January.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in February 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Arab Emirates in February 2026.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in March 2026

Eid al-Fitr (estimated) (عيد الفطر (تقديري)) on 20 March, Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated) (عطلة عيد الفطر (تقديري)) on 21 March and Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated) (عطلة عيد الفطر (تقديري)) on 22 March.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in April 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Arab Emirates in April 2026.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in May 2026

Day of Arafah (estimated) (وقفة عرفة (تقديري)) on 26 May, Eid al-Adha (estimated) (عيد الأضحى (تقديري)) on 27 May, Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated) (عطلة عيد الأضحى (تقديري)) on 28 May and Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated) (عطلة عيد الأضحى (تقديري)) on 29 May.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in June 2026

Islamic New Year (estimated) (رأس السنة الهجرية (تقديري)) on 16 June.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in July 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Arab Emirates in July 2026.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in August 2026

Prophet's Birthday (estimated) (عيد المولد النبوي (تقديري)) on 25 August.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in September 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Arab Emirates in September 2026.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in October 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Arab Emirates in October 2026.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in November 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Arab Emirates in November 2026.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in December 2026

National Day (اليوم الوطني) on 2 December and National Day (اليوم الوطني) on 3 December.

Long weekends and bridge days in the United Arab Emirates in 2026

On 1 occasion in 2026 a United Arab Emirates holiday lands on a Friday or a Monday, which turns the adjoining weekend into a three-day break with no leave used at all. Another 5 fall exactly one day away from the weekend, so a single day of leave buys four days off.

Every United Arab Emirates public holiday in 2026

Show the full 2026 calendar as a table
Public holidays in the United Arab Emirates in 2026
DateDayHolidayLocal name
1 JanuaryThursdayNew Year's Dayرأس السنة الميلادية
20 MarchFridayEid al-Fitr (estimated)عيد الفطر (تقديري)
21 MarchSaturdayEid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)عطلة عيد الفطر (تقديري)
22 MarchSundayEid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)عطلة عيد الفطر (تقديري)
26 MayTuesdayDay of Arafah (estimated)وقفة عرفة (تقديري)
27 MayWednesdayEid al-Adha (estimated)عيد الأضحى (تقديري)
28 MayThursdayEid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)عطلة عيد الأضحى (تقديري)
29 MayFridayEid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)عطلة عيد الأضحى (تقديري)
16 JuneTuesdayIslamic New Year (estimated)رأس السنة الهجرية (تقديري)
25 AugustTuesdayProphet's Birthday (estimated)عيد المولد النبوي (تقديري)
2 DecemberWednesdayNational Dayاليوم الوطني
3 DecemberThursdayNational Dayاليوم الوطني

United Arab Emirates public holidays — common questions

How many public holidays does United Arab Emirates have in 2026?

United Arab Emirates has 12 nationwide public holidays in 2026, 10 of which fall on a weekday. The count covers days observed across the whole country; regional and state holidays are not included, and whether a day is paid depends on the employer.

When is the first public holiday of 2026 in the United Arab Emirates?

It is New Year's Day on 1 January, a Thursday. The last is National Day on 3 December.

Which United Arab Emirates holidays create a long weekend in 2026?

Eid al-Fitr (estimated) and Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated) (20 March–22 March) fall on a Friday or a Monday, so the weekend beside them runs to three days without using any leave.

Do businesses close on public holidays in the United Arab Emirates?

Banks, government offices and schools generally close on national public holidays in the United Arab Emirates, while shops, restaurants and transport often run reduced hours rather than shutting entirely. If you are working remotely from United Arab Emirates, expect slower replies from local suppliers and government services on these dates.

United Arab Emirates public holidays in 2027

The 12 public holidays already published for the United Arab Emirates in 2027. Dates that depend on a lunar or religious calendar can still be confirmed late, so check locally before booking against them.

What actually closes on a public holiday in United Arab Emirates

The working week in United Arab Emirates runs Monday to Friday, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. On a nationwide public holiday, banks, government offices, schools and most post offices close for the day.

Supermarkets, shopping malls and tourist attractions usually stay open, often on shorter hours, and public transport typically drops to a reduced, weekend-style timetable. Restaurants and hotels generally carry on as normal.

In 2026, 10 of the 12 public holidays fall on a working day — those are the dates when closures actually affect banks, offices and deliveries. The other 2 land on the weekend, when most of this is closed anyway.

The public holidays listed on this page apply nationwide in United Arab Emirates — the national calendar we track has no region-only public holidays.

Which 2026 holidays fall on a weekend — and whether United Arab Emirates moves them

2 of United Arab Emirates’s 12 public holidays land on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) in 2026:

United Arab Emirates does not usually move a holiday that falls on the weekend: there is no automatic day off in lieu, so a weekend holiday is simply absorbed. Worth checking before you plan leave around one.

United Arab Emirates public holidays 2027 — plan ahead

United Arab Emirates has 12 public holidays in 2027 — the same as in 2026. 8 fall on a working day. The year opens with New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027 and closes with National Day on Friday 3 December 2027.

DateDayHoliday
1 January 2027FridayNew Year's Day
9 March 2027TuesdayEid al-Fitr (estimated)
10 March 2027WednesdayEid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
11 March 2027ThursdayEid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
15 May 2027SaturdayDay of Arafah (estimated)
16 May 2027SundayEid al-Adha (estimated)
17 May 2027MondayEid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
18 May 2027TuesdayEid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
6 June 2027SundayIslamic New Year (estimated)
14 August 2027SaturdayProphet's Birthday (estimated)
2 December 2027ThursdayNational Day
3 December 2027FridayNational Day

Want this calendar in your own tools? Download it free: CSV · iCal for Google/Apple/Outlook · JSON — or browse the full 100-country dataset. Free under CC BY 4.0.