Days until the next holiday
Note: Educational estimate for planning. Confirm final amounts on official channels.
The list
Dates for the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027. The final column is the one that matters: a fixed-date holiday can be booked around today, and a moon-sighted one cannot.
| Holiday | Date | Days | How certain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commemoration Day | Tuesday 1 December 2026 | 1 | Fixed date |
| Eid Al Etihad (National Day) | Wednesday 2 December 2026 – Thursday 3 December 2026 | 2 | Fixed date |
| New Year’s Day | Friday 1 January 2027 | 1 | Fixed date |
| Eid Al Fitr | Tuesday 9 March 2027 – Thursday 11 March 2027 | 3 | Moon sighting |
| Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha | Saturday 15 May 2027 – Tuesday 18 May 2027 | 4 | Moon sighting |
| Hijri New Year | Sunday 6 June 2027 | 1 | Moon sighting |
| Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday | Saturday 14 August 2027 – Sunday 15 August 2027 | 2 | Moon sighting |
| Eid Al Etihad (National Day) | Thursday 2 December 2027 – Friday 3 December 2027 | 2 | Fixed date |
Private-sector and public-sector employees receive the same public holidays. Where a holiday falls on a weekend, it may be transferred, which is a Cabinet decision rather than an automatic rule.
Why half of these dates cannot be fixed in advance
The Islamic calendar is lunar, and the start of each month depends on the sighting of a crescent moon. A calculated calendar such as Umm al-Qura will give a date, and that date is usually right, but the actual observance is confirmed by a sighting committee and announced by the Cabinet — and it can fall a day either side of the calculated one.
Eid Al Fitr carries an extra uncertainty beyond that. If Ramadan runs 29 days, the holiday is three days; if the Shawwal crescent is not sighted on the 29th and Ramadan runs 30 days, that extra day also becomes a public holiday and the break is four days. Nobody knows which until the night before.
If you want the calculated Umm al-Qura date for any Hijri date, the Hijri converter will give it exactly. It still is not an announcement.
Where published dates disagree
Commemoration Day. Most sources give the public day off as 1 December, while 30 November remains the day of remembrance; at least one calendar lists 30 November as the holiday date itself.
Eid Al Fitr 2027. News reporting expects 9 to 11 March, with a possible fourth day on 12 March. One calendar site instead lists 8 March. Both cannot be right, and neither is official until announced.
Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2027. Reported as likely Saturday 14 August. Falling on a weekend raises the question of a transferred day, which is a Cabinet decision.
This page names the disagreements rather than picking a side, because a confident single date on a page like this is how people end up booking the wrong flight.
Booking leave around a holiday that might move
The practical rule is simple: book refundable or flexible travel around a moon-sighted holiday, and book whatever you like around a fixed one.
The two genuinely safe anchors in this list are New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027, which gives a three-day weekend with no leave at all, and Eid Al Etihad on 2 and 3 December 2027, a Thursday and Friday that makes a four-day weekend by itself.
Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha in May 2027 is the biggest block of the year at four paid days under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, but it is moon-dependent, so treat the specific dates as provisional even though the length is not.
What a holiday does to your pay and leave
A public holiday is paid and does not come out of your annual leave entitlement. If a public holiday falls inside a period of annual leave, practice varies by employer and contract — check yours rather than assuming.
If you are required to work on a public holiday, UAE labour law provides for compensation, typically either a substitute day off or additional pay. The overtime calculator covers how the uplift is worked out, and the annual leave calculator covers accrual.
How to use this calculator
- Pick a holiday from the list.
- Leave the counting date as today, or set another date.
- Say how many days of annual leave you would be willing to spend bridging it.
- Read how far away it is and which weekdays it covers.
- Check whether it is a fixed date or a moon-sighted one before booking anything non-refundable.
- Wait for the Cabinet announcement to confirm any Islamic holiday date.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next UAE public holiday?
Commemoration Day on Tuesday 1 December 2026, immediately followed by Eid Al Etihad on 2 and 3 December. Both are fixed-date holidays, so they can be planned around with confidence.
What are the UAE public holidays in 2027?
New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January; Eid Al Fitr expected 9 to 11 March with a possible fourth day; Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha expected 15 to 18 May; Hijri New Year likely 6 June; the Prophet’s Birthday likely 14 August; and Eid Al Etihad on 2 and 3 December. Only New Year and Eid Al Etihad are fixed dates.
Why do Eid dates change every year?
Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and its year is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorian one, so each Islamic date arrives roughly eleven days earlier each year. The exact day is confirmed by moon sighting and announced by the Cabinet, which is why it can differ by a day from any calculated calendar.
How many days is Eid Al Adha in the UAE?
Four paid days covering Arafah Day and the three days of Eid, under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. The length is settled; the specific dates still depend on the moon sighting.
Is Eid Al Fitr three days or four?
Three if Ramadan runs 29 days. If the Shawwal crescent is not sighted on the 29th and Ramadan runs 30 days, that extra day also becomes a public holiday and the break is four days. Which one happens is not known until the night before.
Do private sector employees get the same holidays?
Yes. Public holidays apply to both the public and private sectors in the UAE.
Do public holidays come out of my annual leave?
No. A public holiday is paid and separate from your annual leave entitlement. If one falls inside a period of annual leave, practice varies by employer and contract, so check yours.
What happens if I have to work on a public holiday?
UAE labour law provides for compensation, typically either a substitute day off or additional pay. The exact entitlement depends on your contract and the circumstances.
Do holidays get moved if they fall on a weekend?
Sometimes. Transferring a holiday that lands on a weekend is a Cabinet decision rather than an automatic rule, so it is announced rather than predictable.
Do you store my numbers?
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Where these figures come from
Dates are as reported by UAE national press and holiday calendars for 2026 and 2027. The four paid days for Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha are set by Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. The fixed-date holidays — New Year’s Day, Commemoration Day and Eid Al Etihad — are the only entries here that can be stated flatly.
No Islamic holiday date on this page is official. We did not find a Cabinet announcement for 2027, and we would not expect one yet: those dates are confirmed by moon sighting close to the time. Published sources already disagree — Eid Al Fitr 2027 is reported as 9–11 March by news outlets and as 8 March by at least one calendar site, and Commemoration Day is given as both 30 November and 1 December. Those conflicts are named on the page rather than resolved by us.
Last checked against the source: 30 October 2026. Confirm any Islamic holiday with the official Cabinet announcement before booking travel. Not affiliated with any UAE authority.
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Disclaimer
Disclaimer: Islamic holiday dates on this page are expectations, not announcements. They are confirmed by moon sighting and announced by the UAE Cabinet close to the date, and can fall a day either side of any calculated calendar. Published sources already disagree on several entries, and those conflicts are named rather than hidden. Do not book non-refundable travel against a moon-sighted date. Not affiliated with any UAE authority.