UAE Public Holidays 2026 and 2027: Official List, Dates and Private-Sector Rules

The UAE's public holidays are set by Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 Concerning the Public Holidays in the State, in force since 1 January 2025, and apply to both the public and private sectors. This guide is built from the Resolution's text on the UAE Legislation portal (where the Arabic text prevails), u.ae's Public holidays page, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation's (MOHRE) private-sector holiday announcements and Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, read on 25 October 2026.

The official list of UAE public holidays

Quick answer: Article 1 of the Resolution sets seven public holidays for the public and private sectors: Gregorian New Year, Eid Al Fitr, Arafah Day, Eid Al Adha, Hijri New Year, the Prophet's birthday and National Day.

Islamic holidays follow the Hijri calendar and depend on moon sighting, so their Gregorian dates change every year (u.ae). u.ae's summary describes Eid Al Fitr as four days; the Resolution's text is 1 to 3 Shawwal, with 30 Ramadan added only when Ramadan has 30 days. If Ramadan completes 30 days, the 30th day of Ramadan is an official holiday added to the Eid Al Fitr holiday (Art. 1). Local governments may set other holidays for their own government departments (Art. 4).

2026 public holidays for the private sector

MOHRE announces each private-sector holiday shortly before it falls. This table lists the MOHRE notices we read on its website.

For the federal government, the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) set the Prophet's birthday holiday on Friday 28 August 2026 (Circular No. 11 of 2026), and gave federal employees Monday 25 to Friday 29 May for Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha (FAHR, 12 May 2026), one day more than the private sector.

UAE National Day holiday 2026

Quick answer: National Day is a two-day public holiday on 2 and 3 December for the public and private sectors (Art. 1). In 2026 those dates are a Wednesday and Thursday; in 2027 they are a Thursday and Friday.

National Day falls on 2 December and marks the start of the federal union of the emirates in 1971 (u.ae). Article 2 lets the Cabinet move non-Eid holidays to the start or end of the week, so the private-sector days off are confirmed when MOHRE announces them. A private-sector employee who works on National Day gets another day off or the day's wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage (Art. 28(2)).

Expected UAE public holidays in 2027

Quick answer: For 2027, the fixed dates are Friday 1 January (New Year) and Thursday 2 and Friday 3 December (National Day). The Islamic holidays are expected around the dates below, which are estimates from the Umm al-Qura calendar: the UAE confirms each one by moon sighting, so any of them can move by a day, and the Cabinet can move the non-Eid holidays (see below).

Umm al-Qura dates and the UAE's moon-sighting dates can differ by a day, so treat this table as a planning guide: the official date is the one MOHRE and FAHR announce. Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027; private-sector working hours are two hours shorter during Ramadan (Implementing Regulation, Art. 15(2); see our working hours guide).

Download these dates as a calendar file (.ics) for Outlook, Google Calendar or Apple Calendar. It holds National Day 2026 and the 2027 holidays, with the Islamic holidays labelled as expected.

Can a public holiday be moved?

• Moving to the start or end of the week: with the exception of the Eid holidays, the Cabinet may, by resolution, transfer any of the public holidays to the beginning or end of the week (Art. 2).
• No transfer from a weekend: a public holiday cannot be transferred to another day if it coincides with another public holiday or falls on the weekend (Art. 3).

Public holiday pay for private-sector employees

• Paid days off: a worker is entitled to official days off with full pay on the public holidays set by Cabinet resolution (Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Art. 28(1)).
• Working on a public holiday: if work conditions require it, the employer gives another day off for each holiday day worked, or pays that day's normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage for that day (Art. 28(2)). Work out the pay with our overtime calculator.
• Holidays inside annual leave: holidays set by law or by agreement that fall within an employee's annual leave count as part of it, unless the contract or company regulations give the employee something more favourable (Art. 29(7)). See our annual leave guide.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the public holidays in the UAE? A: Gregorian New Year (1 January), Eid Al Fitr (1 to 3 Shawwal), Arafah Day (9 Dhu Al Hijjah), Eid Al Adha (10 to 12 Dhu Al Hijjah), Hijri New Year (1 Muharram), the Prophet's birthday (12 Rabi' Al Awwal) and National Day (2 to 3 December), under Article 1 of Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024.

Q: What is the next public holiday in the UAE? A: As of 25 October 2026, the next public holiday is National Day, set by Article 1 for 2 and 3 December (Wednesday and Thursday in 2026), followed by New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027. The Cabinet can move National Day to the start or end of the week (Art. 2), so check MOHRE's announcement.

Q: Are 2 and 3 December holidays in the UAE in 2026? A: Yes. Article 1 of the Resolution sets National Day from 2 to 3 December, which in 2026 are a Wednesday and a Thursday.

Q: What are the expected UAE public holidays in 2027? A: New Year on Friday 1 January and National Day on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 December. Based on the Umm al-Qura calendar, Eid Al Fitr is expected around 9 to 11 March, Arafah Day around 15 May, Eid Al Adha around 16 to 18 May, Hijri New Year around 6 June and the Prophet's birthday around 14 August 2027, subject to moon sighting.

Q: How many days off were there for Eid Al Adha 2026? A: Private-sector employees had four paid days, Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 May 2026, for Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha (MOHRE). Federal government employees had Monday 25 to Friday 29 May (FAHR).

Q: Are public holidays the same for the private and public sectors? A: The list in Article 1 applies to both sectors, but the days off are announced separately, by MOHRE for the private sector and by FAHR for the federal government, and can differ: in 2026 the federal Eid Al Adha break started a day earlier.

Q: Are public holidays paid in the UAE private sector? A: Yes. Workers are entitled to official days off with full pay on public holidays (Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Art. 28(1)).

Q: What does an employee get for working on a public holiday? A: Another day off for each holiday day worked, or that day's normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage for that day (Art. 28(2)).

Q: What happens if a public holiday falls on a weekend? A: It is not transferred to another day. Article 3 of the Resolution says a public holiday cannot be transferred if it coincides with another public holiday or falls on the weekend.