August 14, 2025 | Dubai, UAE: Parents in the UAE have a reason to pull out the family planner early this year. The Ministry of Education has just unveiled the 2025–26 school calendar, and it’s packed with changes: longer breaks, added mid‑term holidays, and a single nationwide schedule.

The announcement came straight from Minister of Education Sarah Al Amiri. She framed the update as part of the government’s Year of Community initiative, a push to make schools work better not only for students but also for their families.

“This isn’t just a calendar shift, it’s about building a school year that supports sharp minds and family life,” she explained.

Year at a Glance

The new timetable applies to all public and private schools, whether in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or Sharjah, ensuring everyone follows the same rhythm. Term one starts Monday, August 25, 2025. The year ends Friday, July 3, 2026, a day earlier, Thursday, July 2, for private schools in Sharjah.

Schedule highlights:

• First Term: Aug 25 – Dec 5, 2025
• Winter Break: Dec 8, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026 (resume Jan 5)
• Second Term: Jan 5 – Mar 15, 2026
• Spring Break: Mar 16 – 29, 2026 (Sharjah back Mar 23)
• Third Term: Mar 30 – Jul 3, 2026 (Sharjah Jul 2)

Mid‑Term Breaks: Spreading the Rest Evenly

One of the bigger shifts is the introduction of three short breaks, with each positioned mid‑term:

• Oct 13–19, 2025
• Feb 11–15, 2026
• May 25–31, 2026 (aligned with Eid Al Adha)

Private schools may adjust two five‑day breaks inside these windows, but the MoE has ruled out date‑shifting that would fragment national alignment.

Families, Culture, and a Predictable Planner

For many families, the idea of a unified school schedule could make planning much easier.

In previous years, holiday dates sometimes didn’t match between different emirates, making it harder for relatives to coordinate trips. Having the same break periods nationwide is expected to simplify things for everyone.

The extended winter pause is a bonus for the tourism and cultural sectors. A Ministry spokesperson added that anchoring the third‑term break to Eid Al Adha wasn’t coincidental. It ensures celebrations aren’t squeezed awkwardly between lessons.

How It Stacks Against the Old Calendar?

Before this change, winter holidays rarely lasted more than three weeks; midterms were limited to the second term alone. That meant long, uninterrupted teaching stretches were productive for some, exhausting for many. The 2025–2026 overhaul is the most extensive in at least a decade, shifting the idea of school breaks from “time off” to “time that supports learning.

Overall, the 2025–2026 calendar marks a qualitative shift from a purely academic focus toward a more balanced approach that values student well-being and family cohesion alongside educational achievement. This holistic strategy reflects the UAE Ministry of Education’s commitment to nurturing an educational environment that supports both learning outcomes and social development.

The Ministry sees the 2025–26 calendar as a starting point, not the final word. Over the year, they’ll gather feedback from teachers, principals, parents, and students to see how the new breaks work in practice.

Also Read: Dubai School Holiday Calendar 2025–2026: Plan Holidays Ahead