UAE Holidays List 2026
This calendar lists all 22 notable dates in the United Arab Emirates' 2026 year so you can plan leave and payroll at a glance. Of these, around 12 are paid public-holiday days across 7 official occasions set by the UAE Cabinet (New Year's Day, Eid al-Fitr, Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha, Islamic New Year, the Prophet's Birthday and National Day); the rest are national observances and astronomical season markers. Unusually for the GCC, the UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and the same holiday dates apply to both the public and private sectors. Public holidays are governed by the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) and set under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, administered by MOHRE, and all Islamic dates are confirmed by official moon sighting closer to the time.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Public holiday (National) |
| 16 Jan 2026 | Friday | Leilat al-Meiraj (The Prophet's Ascension) | Observance |
| 18 Feb 2026 | Wednesday | Ramadan Start (reduced working hours) | Observance |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Thursday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday (Day 1), subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 20 Mar 2026 | Friday | Eid al-Fitr (Day 2), subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 20 Mar 2026 | Friday | March Equinox | Season |
| 21 Mar 2026 | Saturday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday (Day 3), subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 22 Mar 2026 | Sunday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday (Day 4), subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 18 May 2026 | Monday | Hajj season begins | Observance |
| 26 May 2026 | Tuesday | Arafat (Hajj) Day, subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 27 May 2026 | Wednesday | Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 28 May 2026 | Thursday | Eid al-Adha Holiday, subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 15 Jun 2026 | Monday | Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year), subject to confirmation (lunar) | Public holiday (National) |
| 21 Jun 2026 | Sunday | June Solstice | Season |
| 26 Aug 2026 | Wednesday | Mouloud (Prophet's Birthday), tentative date (lunar) | Public holiday (Religious) |
| 23 Sep 2026 | Wednesday | September Equinox | Season |
| 30 Nov 2026 | Monday | Commemoration Day (no separate day off) | Observance |
| 2 Dec 2026 | Wednesday | National Day | Public holiday (National) |
| 3 Dec 2026 | Thursday | National Day Holiday | Public holiday (National) |
| 22 Dec 2026 | Tuesday | December Solstice | Season |
| 31 Dec 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Eve | Observance |
*Islamic (lunar) holiday. Dates follow the Umm Al-Qura calendar and are confirmed by official moon sighting, so they may shift by a day or two.
Note: This list collapses the source's two 27 May entries into a single Eid al-Adha day, so the paid Eid al-Adha break is 26 to 28 May. Only the rows marked "Public holiday" are paid days off, totalling around 12 days across the 7 official occasions. New Year's Day and National Day (2 to 3 December) are fixed; the Eids, Islamic New Year and the Prophet's Birthday follow the lunar calendar. The UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and all Islamic dates may shift by a day or two after official moon sighting.
Dates may change based on official announcements.
How UAE Holidays Impact Payroll and Leave Management?
The UAE's calendar blends fixed national days with several lunar Islamic holidays, with Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha each running for multiple days and clustering with Arafat Day, the Islamic New Year and the Prophet's Birthday across the year. During Eid especially, it feels like a grand celebration: people are on leave, travelling, and enjoying personal time. All of this brings changes in attendance, increased leave requests, and varied working arrangements which impact payroll accuracy and leave processes for both employers and employees.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This 2026 calendar lists 22 key dates, but the UAE Cabinet sets 7 official public-holiday occasions, adding up to around 12 paid days off: New Year's Day (1 day), Eid al-Fitr (about 4 days), Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha (about 4 days), Islamic New Year (1 day), the Prophet's Birthday (1 day) and National Day (2 days). The same dates apply to the public and private sectors. The other entries are observances (such as Leilat al-Meiraj, Ramadan start and Commemoration Day) and astronomical season markers, which are not days off.