Public Holidays in United Arab Emirates — 2026
There are 14 public holidays in United Arab Emirates in 2026 — a middle-of-the-road calendar by international standards.
2 of them land on the Saturday + Sunday weekend, which leaves 12 genuine days off work.
The dates are spread fairly evenly — 10 before July and 4 after it — with March the busiest month.
The longest dry spell runs 98 days, from Tuesday, August 25, 2026 to Tuesday, December 1, 2026; that is the stretch worth spending annual leave on.
2 holiday(s) sit next to the weekend, and 6 single bridge day(s) could turn into a four-day break.
United Arab Emirates sits in Western Asia, is run from Abu Dhabi, pays in Uae Dirham, and has about 9.9M people planning around these same dates.
- Public holidays
- 14
- Days off work
- 12
- Weekend
- Saturday + Sunday
- Busiest month
- March (4)
- Longest gap
- 98 days
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
| Date | Day | Holiday | Local name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Thu, Mar 19 | Thursday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | |
| Fri, Mar 20 | Friday | Eid al-Fitr | |
| Sat, Mar 21 | Saturday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | |
| Sun, Mar 22 | Sunday | Eid al-Fitr Holiday | |
| Tue, May 26 | Tuesday | Arafat Day | |
| Wed, May 27 | Wednesday | Eid al-Adha | |
| Thu, May 28 | Thursday | Eid al-Adha Holiday | |
| Fri, May 29 | Friday | Eid al-Adha Holiday | |
| Tue, Jun 16 | Tuesday | Islamic New Year | |
| Tue, Aug 25 | Tuesday | Prophet's Birthday | |
| Tue, Dec 1 | Tuesday | Commemoration Day | |
| Wed, Dec 2 | Wednesday | UAE National Day | |
| Thu, Dec 3 | Thursday | UAE National Day Holiday |
How many public holidays does United Arab Emirates have in 2026?
14 — of which 12 fall on a working day and 2 fall on the Saturday + Sunday weekend.
What is the first public holiday in United Arab Emirates in 2026?
New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1, 2026. The last one of the year is UAE National Day Holiday on Thursday, December 3, 2026.
Which days are the weekend in United Arab Emirates?
Saturday + Sunday. Working-day counts on this site use that pattern, not a fixed Saturday–Sunday assumption.
When is the longest period without a public holiday in United Arab Emirates in 2026?
Between Tuesday, August 25, 2026 and Tuesday, December 1, 2026 — 98 days with nothing official in between.
Are these 2026 dates confirmed?
10 of the 14 dates are approximate — mostly moon-sighting based observances that shift by a day. The rest are fixed. Source: curated official calendar.