UAE: National Day and Other Holidays 2026. The last long holiday for the year will be for the UAE National Day, where residents will enjoy a two-day break from Wednesday, December 2, to Thursday, December 3. The next public holiday is expected to be the longest of the year, with Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha holidays expected towards the end of May. UAE residents enjoy a four-day holiday during Eid Al Adha, as the UAE’s Cabinet Resolution No. (27) of 2024 Concerning the Public Holidays in the State lists out a one-day holiday for Arafat, followed by a three-day holiday for Eid Al Adha. While the exact dates for the holiday will only be announced after the sighting of the crescent moon for the month of Dhul Hijjah, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society, the month is expected to start on May 18. If that does happen, Arafat Day, which falls on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah, would be on Tuesday, May 26, followed by a three-day holiday from Wednesday, May 27, to Friday, May 30, for Eid Al Adha. If you normally enjoy a two-day weekend from work on Saturday and Sunday, this means that you can possibly be looking at a six-day holiday next month. Start of Dhu Al Hijjah: Monday, May 18, 2026. Arafat Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Eid Al Adha: Wednesday, May 27, 2026, to Friday, May 29, 2026. The next public holiday for UAE residents will then come in August, with a one-day holiday for Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday. The very next month, you can expect another quick break, with a one-day holiday for the Hijri New Year on Muharram 1, which is expected to fall mid-June. All Islamic dates are subject to announcements from the UAE’s moon-sighting committee. Dubai: If you’re making travel plans for the year, you don’t always have to apply for leave from work. So, you can expect a good mid-week break in the last month of the year.
