Updated 29 October 2026

UAE school calendar 2026-27

Term dates and school holidays for public and private schools in the UAE, from the Ministry of Education's three-year calendar.

School starts on Monday 31 August 2026 and the last day is Friday 2 July 2027.

Mid-term break: 12 to 18 October 2026. Winter break: 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Spring break: 5 to 11 April 2027.

The calendar covers public and most private schools, including British, American and IB schools. It does not apply to private schools following Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi curricula.

2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 at a glance

In February 2026 the Ministry of Education fixed the calendar for the next three academic years, so families can plan ahead. These are the dates for students:

Year	First day	Mid-term break	Winter break	Spring break	Last day
2026-27	Mon 31 Aug 2026	12 to 18 Oct 2026	14 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027	5 to 11 Apr 2027	Fri 2 Jul 2027
2027-28	Mon 30 Aug 2027	11 to 17 Oct 2027	13 Dec 2027 to 2 Jan 2028	27 Mar to 2 Apr 2028	Fri 30 Jun 2028
2028-29	Mon 28 Aug 2028	16 to 22 Oct 2028	11 Dec 2028 to 1 Jan 2029	29 Mar to 1 Apr 2029	Fri 29 Jun 2029

School restarts the Monday after each break: 19 October 2026, 4 January 2027 and 12 April 2027 in 2026-27.

The 2026-27 school year term by term

The Ministry's calendar has three terms. For Ministry-curriculum schools it sets out:

Term	Students start	Break after the term	Weeks	School days
Term 1	31 August 2026	Winter break from 14 December	13	67
Term 2	4 January 2027	Spring break from 5 April	12	60
Term 3	12 April 2027	Summer from 5 July	12	58

That is 185 school days in total for Ministry-curriculum schools. British and other private schools publish their own calendars within the national dates, so the number of school days at your child's school can differ.

Public holidays in the 2026-27 calendar

The Ministry's 2026-27 calendar lists these holidays during term time:

National Day holiday: 2 to 4 December 2026
Eid Al-Fitr holiday: 8 to 12 March 2027
Eid Al-Adha holiday: 15 to 18 May 2027
Hijri New Year: 6 June 2027

Your school will confirm the exact days off nearer the time.

Rules every school must follow

Same mid-term break. All schools must keep the October mid-term break. Local regulators may let private schools that do not follow the Ministry curriculum split it between October and February, as long as the total is no more than five school days. This option does not apply in Sharjah.
Learning until the last day. Schools must hold final assessments or finish curriculum work in the last week of each term, so that children attend until the final day. Year groups sitting scheduled international exams are the exception.
Published calendars. In September 2026 KHDA reminded Dubai private schools to align with the unified calendar and to publish their key dates clearly for families.

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Questions parents ask

When does school start in the UAE in 2026?

Monday 31 August 2026 for students, under the Ministry of Education's calendar for public and private schools. Teachers return a week earlier, on 24 August.

When is the winter break in UAE schools 2026?

From Monday 14 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. School restarts on Monday 4 January 2027. The winter break is three weeks from 2026-27, one week shorter than in 2025-26.

When is spring break 2027 in UAE schools?

From 5 to 11 April 2027, with school restarting on Monday 12 April 2027.

When is the last day of school in 2027?

Friday 2 July 2027 for students.

Does the calendar apply to British schools in Dubai?

Yes. The Ministry's calendar covers public and private schools, with an exception only for private schools following Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi curricula. In September 2026 KHDA reminded Dubai private schools to follow the unified 2026-27 calendar. Schools not following the Ministry curriculum may be allowed to split the October mid-term break with February, up to five school days in total.

Is the calendar different in Sharjah?

The Ministry's announcement covers Sharjah too, but the option to split the mid-term break between October and February does not apply to Sharjah private schools, which continue to work under the emirate's own regulatory framework. Check your school's published calendar.

Why does my school's calendar show different dates?

Schools publish their own calendars within the Ministry's framework. Differences you might see include a split mid-term break, staff training days and how public holidays fall. If your school's main breaks differ from the dates here, ask the school, since regulators expect schools to follow the unified calendar.

Sources