UAE School Holidays 2026–27: Every Break, Plus Family Trip Ideas From Dubai

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If you are a parent in the UAE, the school calendar decides when you can travel. The good news for 2026–27 is that the Ministry of Education has fixed a unified calendar, so public schools and most private schools share the same main breaks.

Below are every school holiday and public holiday for the 2026–27 school year in one place, followed by trip ideas from Dubai that fit each break — from long weekends in the UAE to three weeks away over winter. Bookmark this page; we will update it when Eid dates are confirmed.

UAE School Holidays 2026–27 at a Glance

Break	Dates	Back at school	Trip length
UAE National Day	Wed 2 – Thu 3 Dec 2026 (many schools close 2–4 Dec)	Fri 4 Dec or Mon 7 Dec 2026, depending on your school	4–5 day weekend
Winter break	Mon 14 Dec 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027	Mon 4 Jan 2027	3 weeks
Eid Al Fitr*	Expected around 8–12 Mar 2027	Expected Mon 15 Mar 2027	About 1 week
Spring break	Mon 5 – Sun 11 Apr 2027	Mon 12 Apr 2027	1 week
Arafat Day & Eid Al Adha*	Expected Sat 15 – Tue 18 May 2027	Expected Wed 19 May 2027	4 days
Summer holidays	From Sat 3 Jul 2027 (last day of school Fri 2 Jul)	Late August 2027	8+ weeks

*Eid dates follow the Islamic calendar and are confirmed only after the moon sighting, so they can move by a day. The October 2026 mid-term (12–16 October for Ministry-curriculum schools) has already passed.

Good to know

• Winter and spring breaks are the same for all Dubai private schools, whatever the curriculum, under the KHDA calendar.
• Half-terms can differ. Some private schools set their own October or February half-term — always check your school’s own calendar.
• April-start schools (many Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools) share the same winter break but finish their academic year between 15 and 31 March 2027.
• The winter break is shorter this year: three weeks, compared with four weeks in 2025–26.

UAE National Day Long Weekend (December 2026)

Eid Al Etihad falls on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026. With the weekend, and with many schools also closing on Friday 4 December, families get up to five days off — enough for a short-haul trip or a few nights somewhere new in the UAE.

• UAE National Day long weekend 2026: family trips from Dubai — our full shortlist for this break
• UAE farm stays — a slow weekend with animals and fresh air, no flights needed
• Agritourism in Al Ain — date farms and camel farms about 90 minutes from Dubai

Winter Break: 14 December 2026 – 3 January 2027

Three weeks is the one break of the year long enough for a big trip. It is also peak season for flights out of Dubai, so book as early as you can — fares around Christmas and New Year rise quickly.

Trip ideas for winter break

• Snow and mountains: Shymbulak ski resort near Almaty or Georgia for a first ski trip with kids.
• Warm beaches: Zanzibar is in its dry season, and the Philippines dry season starts in December.
• City breaks: Kuala Lumpur for easy flights and indoor attractions, or Copenhagen for Christmas markets.
• More ideas: our best places to travel in January guide.

Eid Al Fitr Break (March 2027)

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, which puts Eid Al Fitr around 9–12 March 2027. The Ministry of Education calendar marks 8–12 March as school holidays, so with the weekends many families will get roughly a week off. Exact dates depend on the moon sighting, so choose flexible tickets if you can.

• Short-haul and mild weather: a 5-day Georgia trip (see our Tbilisi family hotels under $75), or Istanbul with kids.
• Close to home: Abha in Saudi Arabia for cooler mountain air without a long flight.

Spring Break: 5–11 April 2027

Spring break is one week, from Monday 5 to Sunday 11 April 2027, with school back on Monday 12 April. It is a good window for places that are hot in summer or cold in winter.

• Rice terraces and farms: the Philippines — the Banaue rice terraces are at their greenest around April and May.
• European spring: the Cotswolds with kids or Copenhagen as the weather warms up.
• Balkans on a budget: Western Serbia for mountain towns at a fraction of Western European prices.

Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha (May 2027)

Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha are expected from Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May 2027, a four-day break subject to the moon sighting. The Ministry of Education calendar also marks 15–18 May as school holidays.

• Georgia with a toddler — six family adventures that work for little ones.
• Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro — including visa notes for Pakistani passport holders.

Summer Holidays 2027

The last day of school is Friday 2 July 2027. Summer is the time to escape the UAE heat for mountains and cooler climates.

• Kyrgyzstan with kids — our 9-day family itinerary from Dubai, with lakes, gorges and yurt stays.
• Western Serbia and the Cotswolds for green countryside and long days.

Packing for a family trip? See our guides to the best travel backpacks, best travel strollers and best travel car seats for UAE families, with airline cabin rules for Emirates and flydubai.

Plan and Pack for Your Next School Break

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the winter break 2026 in UAE schools?

Winter break runs from Monday 14 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Students return on Monday 4 January 2027.

When is spring break 2027 in the UAE?

Spring break runs from Monday 5 to Sunday 11 April 2027, with school resuming on Monday 12 April.

When does the 2026–27 school year end in the UAE?

The last day of the academic year is Friday 2 July 2027 for schools on the September calendar. April-start schools finish between 15 and 31 March 2027.

Do all Dubai schools have the same holidays?

The winter and spring breaks are the same for all Dubai private schools. Half-term breaks can differ from school to school, so check your own school’s calendar.

When is Eid in 2027?

Eid Al Fitr is expected around 9–12 March 2027, and Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha around 15–18 May 2027. Both depend on the moon sighting and are confirmed by the UAE government closer to the time.

Share This Calendar

Feel free to share this page with your school WhatsApp group or link to it from your school, nursery or parents’ website — we keep the dates updated.

Dates are taken from the UAE Ministry of Education academic calendar 2026–27 and the KHDA calendar for Dubai private schools. Some links on this page are affiliate links; if you book or buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.