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UAE Public Holidays 2027: The Full List
Planning your year around the UAE’s public holidays? The 2027 calendar offers 12 official holiday days — 13 if Ramadan lasts the full 30 days — with some excellent long weekends, including a potential six-day Eid Al Fitr break. Below is the full provisional list, followed by the long weekends worth planning around.
Important: Islamic holiday dates depend on moon sighting and are confirmed by UAE authorities closer to the time. Treat all Hijri-based dates below as provisional.
The Complete 2027 Holiday List
- Friday, 1 January — New Year’s Day
- Monday, 8 March — Eid Al Fitr holiday (if Ramadan lasts 30 days)
- Tuesday, 9 March — Eid Al Fitr
- Wednesday, 10 March — Eid Al Fitr holiday
- Thursday, 11 March — Eid Al Fitr holiday
- Saturday, 15 May — Arafat Day
- Sunday, 16 May — Eid Al Adha
- Monday, 17 May — Eid Al Adha holiday
- Tuesday, 18 May — Eid Al Adha holiday
- Sunday, 6 June — Islamic New Year (may be moved to Monday, 7 June)
- Saturday, 14 August — Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (may be moved to Monday, 16 August)
- Thursday, 2 December — Eid Al Etihad (UAE National Day)
- Friday, 3 December — Eid Al Etihad holiday
The Best Long Weekends of 2027
Eid Al Fitr: Up to 6 Days Off (March)
The year’s longest break. With Eid Al Fitr holidays running Monday 8 March to Thursday 11 March (if Ramadan completes 30 days), anyone with a Saturday–Sunday weekend gets six consecutive days off from 6 to 11 March — the perfect window for an international trip. Even if Ramadan lasts 29 days, expect a four-to-five-day break.
Eid Al Adha: 4 Days (May)
Arafat Day (Saturday 15 May) through Tuesday 18 May gives a four-day weekend — ideal for a Gulf staycation or a short regional getaway to Oman or Saudi Arabia.
Eid Al Etihad: 4 Days (December)
National Day on Thursday 2 December plus Friday 3 December creates another four-day weekend to close the year — peak season for UAE staycations and desert escapes.
Potential 3-Day Weekends
Under the UAE’s public holiday law, the Cabinet can move certain holidays to the start or end of the week. Islamic New Year (Sunday 6 June) and the Prophet’s Birthday (Saturday 14 August) are the likeliest candidates for shifting to Mondays — creating two bonus three-day weekends. Watch for the official announcements.
How UAE Public Holidays Work
- One calendar for all: Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 unified public holidays across the public and private sectors — everyone gets the same days.
- Fixed allocations: one day for New Year’s Day, three for Eid Al Fitr, one for Arafat Day, three for Eid Al Adha, one each for Islamic New Year and the Prophet’s Birthday, and two for Eid Al Etihad.
- Moon sighting rules: Ramadan and the Eids are confirmed by the UAE’s moon-sighting committee; dates can shift by a day from astronomical projections.
- No carry-forward: if a holiday falls on a weekend or overlaps another holiday, it is generally not moved to a weekday — though the Cabinet may shift selected non-Eid holidays to create long weekends, as it has done before.
- Ramadan 30: when Ramadan completes 30 days, the 30th day itself becomes an additional official holiday.
Planning Your 2027: Travel Tips
- Book Eid Al Fitr travel early: the March six-day window is the year’s most popular travel period — flights and hotels sell out months ahead and prices surge.
- Consider the shoulder breaks: the May and December four-day weekends are perfect for regional trips without the Eid price spike.
- Staycation smart: UAE hotel rates peak on every long weekend; booking 6–8 weeks ahead typically saves 20–30%.
- Check school calendars: if you have children, align family travel with both public holidays and school breaks.
- Watch for updates: bookmark official announcements — the Cabinet sometimes adds or shifts holidays, and local governments can declare additional ones.
Important Notes
All Islamic dates above are provisional until confirmed by official moon sighting. The UAE Cabinet publishes the definitive holiday calendar, usually with the year’s official announcement — treat early projections as planning guides, not guarantees, especially for travel bookings with strict cancellation terms.
Planning time off? Browse our UAE travel guides and latest UAE announcements on Gulf Notice — and see our tourism section for staycation ideas.
