UAE Public Holiday 2026 Calendar Released — Longest Breaks Revealed

December 6, 2025 | Dubai , UAE: 2026 will be a very good holiday in the United Arab Emirates. Having 12 official public holidays in the list of UAE Public Holiday 2026, alongside the possibility of extending weekends with the usage of a few days of annual leave, the residents finally have up to 39 days off when combining holidays with weekends and leaves. 

With the existing holiday provisions that enable a great number of holidays to be either taken at the beginning or the end of a week to form long weekends, UAE Public Holiday 2026 will ensure plenty of options to take mini-vacations or longer breaks. 

This is a preview of the UAE Public Holiday 2026, that will possibly be experienced and how with smart planning a single day of leave will become a week off.

Key Holidays & Dates to Watch

Dates in the UAE Public Holiday 2026 List, particularly religious holidays are also liable to confirmation upon sightings of the moon. 

In addition to UAE Public Holiday 2026, some observances (e.g., the beginning of Ramadan, moon-sighting) can also have an effect on the alterations to working days, but the above list is finished by the officially announced public holidays. 

Unlocking Long Weekends With The UAE Public Holiday 2026 List

With the help of the UAE Cabinet rule of transferable holiday, some of the holiday days that occur in the middle of the week can be rescheduled to form long weekends a significant benefit to any individual wishing to travel or rest without consuming many of his or her annual leaves. 

• New Year Day (1/1) – when moved to Friday, one leave day on Friday the 2nd can turn into 4 days of leave (Thursday-Sunday). 

• Eid Al Fitr (Mar 20-22) – by taking leaves (Mon-Thu) (Mar 16-19), the residents will have the opportunity to have a 9-day vacation (Sat, Mar 14 to Sun, Mar 22) in total with the weekend and Eid break. 

• Eid Al Adha + Arafah Day (May 26-29) – one leave as Monday May 25 will make this a 9 day holiday (including weekends before and after). 

• Islamic New Year (June 16)- you may take a 4 day leave in case you take Monday off. 

• Birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Aug 25) –1 day off on Monday (Aug 24) can result in a 4-day weekend. 

• National Day (Dec 23 -3) – a combination of several leaves during the holiday may lead to a 9 day end of year holiday. 

In general – having 11 days of paid leave and 12 days of official holidays, a resourceful UAE resident will be able to convert the rather modest leave quota into a close six weeks of vacation (including weekends). 

Things To Keep In Mind 

Some holidays, particularly the religious, are determined by the lunar sightings. The official dates can be changed slightly. 

From the UAE Public Holiday 2026 List, not every holiday can be transferred. The religious festival holidays are an example, as they will follow the actual dates, but some, such as National Day, New Year, etc. may be changed to form a weekend. 

To plan, particularly travels, family visits, leaves, etc. it is useful to book the leave early especially during peak holidays (Arafah/Eid Al adha, Ramadan/Eid, National day).

As an employer or manager: watch out for possible leaves requests during these clusters of holidays.

UAE Public Holiday 2026

To anyone who has been in the UAE living or working, 2026 is proving to be a year with many holidays. There are religious festivals, national holidays, and the intelligent application of leaves a leave. You can arrange your year so that you have an extra long weekend, a mini-vacation or even a full vacation.

Given some foresight and calendar planning, you will be able to get as much time off, turnover, travel and see loved ones all using a small percentage of your annual leave.

Read More: UAE 4 Day Weekend in January: Why Some Dubai Residents Get Extended Break?