UAE confirms next public holidays

Following the Islamic New Year, the UAE has three public holiday days remaining in 2026, creating key booking opportunities in late summer and early winter. 

The next public holiday is expected to fall on Monday August 24, in commemoration of the Prophet’s Birthday the following day, offering residents a three-day break. Under UAE law, public holidays that fall midweek or over a weekend may be moved to the beginning or end of the working week. 

The August break will be the final public holiday before the start of the new academic year for many UAE schools, offering families a final opportunity for a short summer getaway. Regional destinations such as Georgia and Azerbaijan continue to see strong demand from UAE travellers, both ranking among the top outbound countries in the 2026 Connecting Travel Insight Report.

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On 30 November, the country also observes UAE Commemoration Day, however it is not a nationwide public holiday, with the final break of 2026 falling on UAE National Day. Residents are expected to receive two days off on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December. Those working a traditional Monday-to-Friday week can turn the National Day break into a nine-day holiday with just three additional days of annual leave, creating another key travel window ahead of the peak festive season.

The Maldives, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the UK remain among the most popular winter destinations for UAE travellers, according to Dnata booking data from the 2025 holiday period. Major hotel openings due by year-end across these locations include The St Regis London, Don Maaga Maldives and Raffles The Red Sea in Saudi.

Looking ahead, the UAE is expected to observe 12 public holiday days in 2027 with longer breaks across March, May and December. Projected dates are as follows: 

• New Year’s Day – 1 January 
• Eid Al Fitr – 8 to 10 March
• Arafa Day – 15 May 
• Eid Al Adha – 16 to 18 May 
• Islamic New Year – 6 June
• Prophet’s Birthday – 15 August 
• National Day – 2 to 3 December  

For more information, visit u.ae